100 Situations
by Alcyone23
Summary: Starring Namikaze Minato. A series of related one-shots.
1. Prompt 84: Sex

**Author's Notes**: First, I have to explain where this came from. I was on LJ when I stumbled on the 100_situations community. Basically, you claim a character, pairing, whatever and have to write 100 fics concerning said claim. Sound masochistic? Insane? Admitting to having no life? Yes to all. So here is the first of 100 situations, number 84 "sex" (I swear, I was going to start with "Son", but Jiraiya wanted to screw with Yondy's head. And I can't say no to Jiraiya.)

As a side note, nothing graphic here, but there are adult situations. The "M" rating is just to safeguard. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Naruto, there would be no way to deny that the Valley of End fight was actually hatesex.

* * *

"I just can't believe it." Jiraiya rounded on Kushina, raising an eyebrow. "How is it that you're marrying my idiotic student? Your standards have dropped, Kushina-chan."

Minato choked on his sake as Kushina threw her head back and laughed. He took a swing at his sensei's head, which only made Kushina laugh harder. He loved hearing her laugh. She laughed like a man, the peals rolling from deep inside, exploding loudly and shaking her petite frame.

"Sensei, this idiotic student happens to be Hokage, remember?"

Jiraiya aimed a pitying glance at him. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, brat, but you're Hokage because Sarutobi-sensei lost a bet. Otherwise, how could you be Hokage?"

Minato took another swing at Jiraiya. Jiraiya dodged, turning to Kushina again. "Well, if you're going to be married, it's my obligation to warn you about him."

"Sensei," Minato growled in warning as Kushina clasped her hands before her, setting her chin on them. "Warn me? Do tell."

Jiraiya downed another cup of sake. His cheeks were ruddy and his eyes looked a sip away from unfocused. Minato had a bad feeling, which only grew as Jiraiya began speaking. "For the longest time…" he paused dramatically, leaning slightly forward, "I thought he was gay."

Minato's jaw dropped open as Kushina fairly shrieked with laughter.

"No, really." Jiraiya winked at Kushina, oblivious to or ignoring the sudden killing intent his apprentice aimed his way. "When he was fourteen, I took him to a brothel—"

"Sensei," Minato intoned warningly.

"—because I figured that if he was old enough to be a jounin and fight and kill, he should know about the fun side of adulthood too—"

Seeing Kushina's look, one torn between amusement and an emotion Minato could not recognize, Minato kicked his teacher under the table. "Jiraiya-sensei, enough."

"—so then she's all paid up—dammit, brat, that hurt! Don't interrupt me when I'm talking. Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. Barely ten minutes later, she comes back down complaining that our darling Mina-chan can't—OW!"

"Finish that sentence and I'll Rasengan you into the wall, Ero-sensei." Minato glowered at him.

Massaging the bump his student had given him, Jiraiya glared back. "I'd like to see you try, you little brat."

Jiraiya's eyes widened comically as his student dove at him across the table and began throttling him.

Some time later, after Kushina was forced to become involved and both men backed down in fear of hurting her or the baby, Minato and Kushina waved Jiraiya from the door. They watched him stagger down the steps ("Get your hands off me, brat. I am the great Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, and I can walk myself home.") and out of view.

"Good-for-nothing perverted teacher," Minato complained under his breath. He closed the door with an audible sigh of relief. Kushina snickered.

"Story struck a nerve?"

Minato tried to glare at her, but one glance at her amused face and the gentle rounding of her stomach caused any annoyance to evaporate. He settled for mock glowering at her. "It was a long time ago."

Still giggling, Kushina kissed his nose. "I'll leave you to clean up. I'm exhausted." Yawning, she headed for their room.

As Minato gathered his and Jiraiya's cups of sake and Kushina's tea, he shook his head at his sensei's impropriety. To bring that up again…and in front of Kushina! Calling Jiraiya a variety of epithets he would ensure his son never learned cheered him considerably. The reminder that in five months he and Kushina would have their first child secured his good mood. Whistling, he strode to their bedroom.

"Kushina?" he called quietly as he pushed the door open. Thinking she was already asleep, his eyes turned to the bed to find it empty. In fact, the room was empty. He could not even sense her chakra. Frowning, he stepped further into the room.

The door slid shut.

He reflexively sank into a defensive stance as he faced the figure behind him masking its chakra.

He froze.

The first thought through his head was that Kushina was naked. But while Kushina had a healthy tan, her skin wasn't bronzed. Neither was there a delicate golden embroidering at her neck, which then trailed down her torso…

Minato swallowed.

Kushina sauntered away from the door, her steps purposefully, agonizingly slow. She didn't stop until she was before Minato. Her palms rested on his chest. His hands reflexively rose to close around her waist.

"_So-o_," she dragged out the word. "Mina-chan was embarrassed when he was fourteen."

Minato groaned. "Kushina—"

"Why?" Her green eyes held his as her hands delved under his shirt.

Minato groaned louder, at her question, the hands tracing the lines of his abs and the lips teasing his earlobe.

"What did she do wrong?"

It wasn't what she did wrong, Minato answered mentally. It was what she _wasn't_. Her hair was black, not red. Her eyes were brown, not green. Her skin was pale, not golden. She was lanky, not petite. She smelled like cheap perfume and sweat, not wind and grass and sunshine. Before Minato even knew he loved Kushina, his body recognized the differences.

And he had been fourteen and terrified. But he couldn't even admit that to himself under torture.

"She wasn't you," he answered.

Kushina's lips twitched upward. "Liar," she breathed against his lips. "But good answer." Her lips fell against his and, almost growling, Minato picked her up and tossed her onto the bed. He wasn't fourteen anymore. He was twenty-six. And he loved the woman below him and his body had no trouble reacting.

A few hours later, he hugged Kushina to his chest.

"Mmm, Minato?" she muttered, half-asleep.

"Hmm?"

"Was it that you couldn't get it up or that you couldn't keep it up?"

Minato's eyes shot open.


	2. Prompt 25: Cancer

**Author's Notes**: Here's Shiro. You'll probably be seeing him again in the future. Poor thing didn't know who he was messing with.

* * *

Minato was not jealous.

He was many things upon seeing Kushina again. He was happy that his old friend was fine. He was shocked at how much she had changed. He was a little sad that the tomboy he'd romped with wasn't much of a tomboy anymore. And he was feeling something that only Jiraiya-sensei would dare name as he observed (because he was only casually observing, not gaping and certainly not imagining scenarios involving) her feminine curves.

He was not jealous upon seeing Kushina holding Shiro's hand. He was not spiteful as she laughed at something Shiro said. The sudden desire to dash Shiro's head against the wall had nothing to do with his tucking a stray scarlet strand of hair away from Kushina's face as if…as if it was his _right_. Possessive fury was not choking his veins, invading every inch of his body. No, Minato was not jealous.

Vindictive, maybe. Why, he wasn't sure. But he certainly wasn't _jealous_.

"Mina-_chan_," Kushina sang. Minato's indignant retort at the childhood moniker died at the twinkle in her eyes.

"Uh, yes, Kushina?"

"Let's go have a drink, Mina-chan. I haven't seen you in almost two years!" she enthused. Her hands closed around his arm and his brain promptly shut down. His argument that they were still too young to drink was waylaid somewhere between his mouth and brain.

"Whatever you say," he finally responded. He was very proud he managed to string together an answer. Her smile proved detrimental to his mental capacities.

"Great! I'll stop by your apartment around eight. You're still living in the same apartment, right?"

Not trusting himself with speech when faced with her proximity, Minato nodded dumbly.

"Perfect!" She hugged him briefly. "I'll see you later, Mina-chan!" With a final wave, she turned, long red hair whipping around her slender figure and walked away.

Minato would have gazed after her with a stupid expression on his face if not for Shiro slinging his arm around her shoulders.

No, Minato was not jealous. But his anger was metastasizing. And if Shiro didn't remove the arm, Minato would do so for him. Permanently.


	3. Prompt 05: Son

**Author's Notes**: Originally, "Son" was a very bittersweet piece. But, halfway through, pre-adolescent!Kushina decided she wanted her moment to shine. By the way, Kushina wins at life.

* * *

Minato inhaled. He examined the targets he had erected. One hand fingered the kunai in his holster. Before his imagined adversary could blink, he seized the kunai and threw it with deadly accuracy. Immediately after the _thud_ of impact sounded, he had run forward and yanked the kunai out, throwing it at another target. He needed to be faster. Jiraiya-sensei bested him in all but raw speed. If he could master this, if he could make himself faster, he'd be able to steal the bell from him and avoid being tied to the post anyway. He was almost as fast as his throw. He just needed to be faster.

"Miiiina-chaaaan!"

Minato choked on his saliva. Forcing himself to act naturally, he turned to face the red and orange eyesore running up to him.

He really didn't know what he had done to deserve such punishment. But Uzumaki Kushina had declared him her rival and a day couldn't go by without the peace being shattered by a shrill scream of "Mina-chan!"

Which brought up the matter of her choice of name for him, a name Jiraiya-sensei had adopted to Minato's ever-lasting frustration. Although, it'd be hypocritical of him to complain as he had taken to addressing Jiraiya-sensei with Kushina's name for him in payback: Ero-sensei.

Kushina ran to him, stopping just before she crashed into him. Her hands rested on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Yes, Kushina?" Minato asked politely, even as he tensed as if for battle. This was the girl who had painted the Hokage Tower—a place with a constant stream of shinobi entering and leaving and guarded by ANBU no less!—and not been caught.

But Kushina's look was different from her usual squinty-eyed glare. "Minato," she began and Minato started at her use of his name. She never called him by his name if she could avoid it. "I…need your help."

Immediately, suspicion filtered into his veins. Last time she asked him for his help, she tricked him into standing outside the wall of the women's hot springs. She started screaming there was a pervert peeking and Minato barely managed to get away from the enraged crowd of women that surged out of the springs in general and Tsunade-sama in particular.

This time, however, it seemed like she honestly needed help. She was scowling and refused to look at him as she asked. The request was so low and mumbled, he barely understood her.

"With what?" Minato cocked his head curiously.

"Well…" Kushina scratched the back of her neck. "Can you help me with a jutsu? It's one of my village's jutsu and I was thinking that with some changes it could be used in battle. _Don't_ think that I actually _need_ you. _I_ could figure it out alone, but I figured two people would get it done faster so…"

Minato grinned. He would never let her live it down that she had needed him. "Sure, Kushina, I'll help. What's the jutsu?"

"Oh, it's Whirlpool's ancient taijutsu supreme technique." Her sudden devious grin caught Minato off-guard. Fearing for his life and his limbs, he seized her wrists, wrenching her hands apart, which had folded into the tiger seal. Her grin grew wider.

_Poof!_

The kage bunshin disappeared and Minato had no time to react as two fingers from behind jabbed deeply inside somewhere fingers weren't supposed to be.

"_ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF PAIN_!"

When Minato regained his bearings, he found himself humiliated, his throbbing backside sticking into the air and his face planted into the ground.

Kushina was rolling around in the grass. Her hands were wrapped around her stomach and tears streamed down her face. She howled with laughter.

"You should…see your…face!" she gasped. "I just…took down…the great…Namikaze Minato! Your ass...is _totally_...mine!"

"I am going to kill you," Minato snarled through clenched teeth. Screw being polite. Screw not hitting a girl. His hands still clutched his abused backside.

Kushina's hysterics doubled.

Several years later, Namikaze Minato's student used Uzumaki Kushina's jutsu on Minato and Kushina's son.

Sometimes, the only way to learn is through a deadly poke in the ass.


	4. Prompt 07: Friend

**Author's Notes**: This one is not as funny as the others, but I needed to introduce Mina-chan's teammates. The actual test will be up at a later date. Jiraiya's going to be in for a surprise. *cackles*

Looking for a beta! Must be capable of catering to my every whim and adore me endlessly. (Translation: I need someone with experience and lack of guilt or fear at tearing into stuff to tell me what aberrations my one-shots are before whacking me with a dictionary and telling me to do it over.)

* * *

"Here's good. Sit down."

Minato blinked up at the jounin who was to be his teacher. He was a bear of a man with red lines marking his cheeks and a mole to the side of his nose. A glance at his new teammates, Masashi and Ume, revealed they were just as wary as he was of the man's outrageous hair.

The burly man leaned against the metal rail bordering a rooftop. "You three introduce yourselves."

The children glanced at each other.

"Well, don't all jump up at once." Their sensei seemed to be controlling the urge to roll his eyes. Nodding at Masashi, he said, "You, tell us about yourself."

The dark boy looked up lazily. "And say what? Why don't you go first, sensei?"

"My name is Jiraiya. I have one thing I love, which is shaped like this," he held his hands as if wrapping them around something large and round, "then like this," he brought his hands closer together as he brought them down, "and like this." He lowered his hands further and widened the distance between them.

_A fruit?_ Minato thought.

Jiraiya continued, oblivious to his students attempting to decipher what he meant. "There are a few things I don't like. I have an important hobby as a researcher. And my dream is to compile my research into a book. Now, you."

Masashi sighed as if the task were too trying. "My name is Kurosawa Masashi. I like traps. I hate people who can break my traps. My hobby is setting traps. And my dream is to be a casino owner."

"Remind me to keep you far away from Tsunade," Jiraiya muttered to himself. "Okay, girl, you're up."

"I'm Tachibana Ume. I like painting and it's my hobby. I _don't_ like traps." She glared out of the corner of her eye at Masashi who whistled innocently. "My dream is to be a genjutsu specialist like my mother."

"Genjutsu, huh? Alright, blondie, your turn."

Minato blinked at being thrust into the spotlight. "My name is Namikaze Minato. I like good food. There aren't a lot of things I don't like. My hobby is to read in my spare time. And my dream is to become the greatest shinobi."

"All right." Jiraiya clapped his hands together. "Now we can refer to each other by name when we say goodbye."

"Huh?" Masashi narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Oh, you don't know?" Minato would have believed Jiraiya's show of innocence, but the tone was much too gleeful. "Tomorrow is your final exam."

"What?!" Ume yelped.

"But we already passed the Academy's final test." Minato struggled to understand. _Another test?_

Jiraiya laughed uproariously. "That test exists just to determine who are qualified to become genin. _This_ is the test that will determine if you actually become one. And," he laughed harder, his frame shaking, "this is a test with a 66% failure rate. Those who don't pass are sent back to the academy."

"_What?!_" Ume squeaked.

"Oh, you've gotta be—" Masashi began complaining.

"What's this test?" Minato schooled his shock. He needed information if he wanted to pass. He couldn't fail. Not now.

Minato squirmed slightly as Jiraiya studied him closely. He brightened so quickly, though, Minato thought he must have imagined it. "Now, kid, don't you know what a surprise is?" Jiraiya wagged a finger at his student. "Tomorrow, training grounds at 0500. Don't be late. Oh, and don't eat breakfast. You'll just throw up. Ta!"

Before any of the kids could react, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

There was an awkward pause.

"S-o-o." Masashi managed to stretch out a one-syllable word into three syllables. "Anyone else get the feeling our teacher's a bit, I don't know, nuts?"

"My sister said all jounin are crazy." Ume shrugged as if that settled the debate.

"Yeah, but if we don't pass this crazy jounin's test, we're going back to the Academy," Minato reminded them.

"Oh, right." Ume kicked a pebble.

Masashi scowled. "It's not fair. Why should we have to take another test?"

"I hope it's not written." Ume shuddered.

"He told us to go to the training grounds," Minato answered. "It's probably a survival type of exercise. And," he continued, his forehead creasing in concentration, " whatever it is, we'll probably have a better chance by working together. What do you say? No matter what happens we watch out for each other's backs."

"Okay," Ume agreed brightly.

"As long as you don't get in my way." Masashi crossed his arms before his chest. Minato grinned at him and Masashi's lips twitched upward. Giggling, Ume offered her pinky finger to seal the promise. The two boys curled their pinkies around hers.

Hidden, Jiraiya shook his head. "Well, I'll be damned. They already passed." He nodded to himself slightly. "It'll be interesting to see how long their alliance lasts."

As the three walked away, he observed the yellow-haired boy between the other two, chattering as if they were old friends.

"Namikaze Minato, huh." Jiraiya relaxed on the branch he was sitting on. "Interesting brat."


	5. Prompt 30: Fall

**Author's Notes**: Continuation from "Cancer". Shiro's feeling threatened (poor thing), Minato's (just a tad) jealous and Kushina's being awesome (like always). If/When I finish this, I'm going to have such a headache ordering all this chronologically.

Still looking for a beta! Seriously, people, I don't bite (much).

* * *

After spending a few hours with Shiro (not willingly, mind you), Minato had concluded five things.

The first two surfaced following a conversation after Kushina appeared at his door, Shiro's blonde head at her back. Minato had thoughtlessly commented that he thought it would be just he and Kushina.

"What kind of man would I be if I left my girlfriend alone with a man I don't know?" Shiro's tone was teasing. His eyes were anything but. Minato was surprised he wasn't being hit with killing intent yet.

Oblivious to the atmosphere, Kushina tossed her hair, scoffing. "I can blow you halfway to Suna with one hand," she replied starchy. Shiro's blue eyes flashed.

"Yes, you're the proud shinobi," Shiro muttered under his breath. It sounded like an old fight between them.

Thus the first of Minato's conclusions: 1) Shiro was not a ninja and 2) he felt inferior because of this.

The next two formulated after Minato fell. No, he literally fell. Kushina had a little too much to drink ("Kushina, you're not legal." "Shut up, Mina-chan. Follow your sensei's example."), but was too proud to accept help ("Don't touch me, you bastard. I'll scream; I swear I will. RAPE! RAPE! SOMEONE—good boy, you can have a treat later."). Minato and Shiro followed her closely, neither willing to leave her with the other. There was a small step and she missed it. Immediately, Minato jumped forward and stabilized her. Unfortunately, this had the side effect of destabilizing _him_ and sending him sprawling to the ground.

The first thing he was aware of was Shiro's slightly mocking laughter, followed by a twinge in the hand he'd used to break his fall. Then, he felt Kushina's warm hand on his face as she kneeled beside him.

"Falling for me?" Her head cocked to the side, titian strands darkening to russet in the scarce light. "You're such an idiot." She giggled and took his abused hand. Her lips pressed ever so briefly against the broken skin.

Shiro's laugh died.

Kushina helped him to his feet, still giggling ("And _I'm_ the one that's drunk.). Minato felt light-headed, especially when he saw a tiny red drop glistening on Kushina's lips. The feeling intensified, his stomach seizing, when a pink tongue poked out and fanned over her lips.

"Idiot." She laughed again. "Don't kill yourself. Shiro, take me home," she said, turning around. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mina-chan."

Before he followed after her, Shiro paused to glare at Minato. "Stay away from my girl."

Minato grinned. "If you have to tell me that, then she's not your girl."

Shiro's glare deepened. "I trust her. I don't trust you."

"Shiro!" Kushina's fists rested on her hips. She had just realized Shiro wasn't following her. She tapped her foot at him.

Shiro smirked and walked toward her, his hand touching the small of her back. As Minato watched them leave, he added two new conclusions to his list: 3) Shiro despised Minato and 4) he didn't deserve Kushina.

Minato didn't realize his last conclusion until he was walking through his door. During the short walk, he had plotted no less than forty-seven ways of killing Shiro. They were all relatively innocent considering he wasn't a shinobi and Minato figured that using any jutsu over C-rank would be overkill. Not that he didn't deserve it. But Minato did have a strong sense of right and wrong.

No, his last conclusion applied to himself. He wasn't sure how or why or even when it began, but he somehow found himself trembling with jealousy and with a strong desire to destroy something at the image of Kushina with another man.


	6. Prompt 72: Slow

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

Ducking under one branch and jumping over another, Minato raced against the wind pushing him back, against the stray branches struggling to snag his clothes, against the desperate fear that he was too slow.

Sensing a group of Konoha shinobi ahead, he veered slightly.

"Ah, Minato-san!" The kunoichi next to whom he'd landed gasped.

Minato quickly looked around. Seven shinobi, three kunoichi, two medic-nin. No child.

"Have you seen a boy?" Minato trained his gaze on the kunoichi. "Seven years old, gray hair, wears a mask that covers the bottom half of his face."

"No." She shook her head. "There haven't been any reports either."

Immediately, Minato turned to face the forest.

"Hey, wait!" She grabbed his elbow. "There's an order not to enter this part of the forest. The explosives are about to go off."

"I know," Minato replied politely. He removed his hand from her elbow and jumped.

"Minato-san!" Her cry, along will yells and questions from the others, tunneled away. He needed to hurry. He needed to find him.

Different what-ifs ran through his mind. What if he'd kept Kakashi closer? What if he'd planted a seal on him? What if he'd reacted faster, stopped that ninja, not lost sight of his student? What if he wasn't fast en—

No! He couldn't think like that. He had to hurry. He had to run. He had mere minutes before the explosions.

Finally, he sensed flares of chakra. Changing course, he burst through the trees hiding the battle from view.

For a moment he couldn't tell if Kakashi was part of the melee. They were all dirty, clothing torn. But then he saw a small figure disengage from the group. He clutched a kunai like a lifeline, trying to keep the three others away from him.

Minato dove into the fray. Surprising the Rock nin, he managed to wrench one away from Kakashi, using his kunai to quickly slit his throat. The second jumped back, fingers beginning to form seals. Grabbing one of his specially designed kunai, Minato threw it at him. As expected, the shinobi stopped his seals to catch it. His smirk was short-lived. Minato flashed before him. He grabbed the kunai and thrust it into the Rock nin's heart. When he turned around, Kakashi was watching the last enemy fall.

"Kakashi?" Minato's voice carried across the small clearing. When Kakashi looked up, his face streaked with blood and dirt and eyes too old for a face that still retained that last of its baby fat, Minato was simultaneously sad and relieved.

The rumble of the impending explosion startled him.

"Kakashi!" he cried. He dove for the boy, wrapping his hands around his student and performing the seal for Hiraishin.

The seal he'd planted earlier on the kunoichi's sleeve saved them. They flashed into safety next to her, effectively scaring her and forcing Minato to stop her kunai an inch from his face.

When she realized who he was, she shook her head, pocketing the weapon. "You're insane," she admonished, but she smiled at the boy in his arms.

Minato held Kakashi tightly, feeling him tremble from exertion and listening to his harsh breaths.

"Sensei, you can let go," he said, somewhere around Minato's chest.

With a weak chuckle, Minato let go, ruffling the already disheveled hair. Kakashi scrunched his nose, his hands rising in a failed attempt to flatten his hair.

"Are you hurt?" Minato inspected him closely.

Kakashi shook his head wordlessly.

Minato grinned, tousling Kakashi's hair again. This time, Kakashi leaned ever so slightly into his hand.


	7. Prompt 71: Fast

Minato straightened, his hand dropping from the kunai embedded deeply into the Rock nin's neck. It was the same every time he used Hiraishin: the exhilarating speed, the seals expanding his awareness of the location and the brief pause after he finished before the others' bodies realized they could no longer support life.

There was a moment of utter silence.

As if on cue, fifty bodies fell in an orchestrated collapse of finals sighs, streams of blood and severed limbs. Since youth, he had strived for speed. Now, he was so fast most of the men never realized they had been struck. All they saw was a yellow flash: brief, ephemeral, gone.

He had been called Konoha's Yellow Flash for so long he had begun to believe it. As long as his seals were in place, he could defeat any number of enemies. He could go anywhere in less than seconds. He could protect his three subordinates from afar.

When he realized even the famous, and infamous, Yellow Flash couldn't be fast enough—when he found Kakashi laying immobile, Rin shielding him with her body and Obito nowhere to be seen—the lesson proved difficult to swallow.


	8. Prompt 20: Love

**Author's Notes**: A challenge within a challenge! Interesting, huh? This is my 1 sentence challenge entry, which I made Minato-centric so I could also use it for this one. Expect four more like this, but each dealing with a different relationship (Jiraiya, Kakashi and Naruto) and one about Hiraishin's development.

And, just like the rest of this one-shot fiasco, they are _not_ ordered chronologically. If any of you would like one of the sentences expanded into a full story, just let me know and I shall try my best. ^^

* * *

**01. ****Comfort**

There were no assurances, no safety, hardly any hope, but he held on tighter to Kushina, soothed by her warmth, the rich color of her hair and, yes, even her muttered curses that the enemy would get what was coming to them, the sons of bitches.

**02. ****Kiss**

"I remember our first kiss," Minato laughed, "and I remember how you tried to throttle me after."

**03. ****Soft**

"You damn well deserved it," Kushina muttered darkly as she cuffed him around the head, ensuring the blow wasn't soft at all.

**04. ****Pain**

As Minato tried to kill a hysterically laughing Kushina with his glare, he failed to notice the twinge in his stomach that had very little to do with the pain radiating from his ass.

**05. ****Potatoes**

"_You _will stay out of my kitchen," enunciated Kushina as she waved him away—with a butcher knife of all things!—from what were once potatoes.

**06. ****Rain**

It was raining and Minato was barely aware of a confusing din of explosions and yells around him and such pain as he'd never felt before and Kushina's screams that he was a stupid, self-sacrificing _bastard_ and if he dared die she would revive him and kill him herself.

**07. ****Chocolate**

Minato focused on the sound of her cry, caught sight of tearing green eyes so vivid in their fear, caught her face in his hand and was surprised to learn her mouth tasted like chocolate: smooth and warm and so sinfully delicious.

**08. ****Happiness**

Two children sat in a tree, the boy trying to stop the girl and the girl aiming rocks at hapless Chuunin just because she could.

**09. ****Telephone**

Like a bad game of telephone, when the Yamanaka transmitted the message that Kushina had returned safe from her mission, it came out as "Cushions half-price."

**10. ****Ears**

When Minato first saw Kushina—Konoha tomboy by excellence—again, he didn't know what to be more stunned about: that she had a boyfriend or that her ears were pierced.

**11. ****Name**

"My brother's name was Kurou," Kushina said softly, "and, after he died, I did everything I could to _be _him so that my father would smile again."

**12. ****Sensual**

Minato had never considered necks to be particularly sensuous. That was until Kushina cocked her head to the side, eyes shining as she beheld the steaming bowl of ramen, and a golden bend of neck was visible to Minato.

**13. ****Death**

Dreams haunted him, dreams of his red-haired lover and a yellow-haired child, dreams where he could not reach them in time.

**14. ****Sex**

"Well," Kushina's lips twitched as she hid a roll of her eyes, "if you remember what we did yesterday, last night and this morning, that's how I ended up pregnant."

**15. ****Touch**

Minato loved Konoha, loved his people, even loved his perverted sensei (although he'd be hard put to admit it), but he loved most Kushina's feather-light touches on his face as their baby kicked again.

**16. ****Weakness**

It wasn't safe for a man like him when someone else held his heart, but Minato really couldn't care.

**17. ****Tears**

They rocked each other, holding tightly and listening to the other's heartbeat.

**18. ****Speed**

"Remind me to not break up with you," said Kushina as she gaped at the results of Hiraishin.

**19. ****Wind**

"Enjoy the feel of the wind," Kushina laughed, but Minato couldn't, focused as he was on outrunning the Inuzuka Kushina had pissed off.

**20. ****Freedom**

Minato was tempted to join an ecstatic Kushina shrieking "SWEET FREEDOM!" as she waved her new Konoha headband in the air.

**21. ****Life**

"I might be kind of pregnant."

**22. ****Jealousy**

"I don't like how he looks at you," Minato muttered and Kushina just laughed.

**23. ****Hands**

Minato glanced at the dirty and rough hand offered and, despite knowing he was going to regret this, he grabbed it, sealing the deal.

**24. ****Taste**

"You cook?" Minato laughed and Kushina shut him up by shoving the spoon into his mouth.

**25. ****Devotion**

"I'll follow you anywhere," the yellow-haired child promised.

**26. ****Forever**

The yellow-haired man finished, "Forever."

**27. ****Blood**

Minato was still bleeding through his bandages, but that didn't stop Kushina from pulling him onto the hospital roof with her where she proceeded to prank every shinobi entering and leaving.

**28. ****Sickness**

"Karma," a nurse said drily as Minato stifled a snigger and Kushina sneezed from her impromptu trip into the river, granted by an unamused jounin.

**29. ****Melody**

"Minato, if you dare try to sing again, I will put you of your misery."

**30. ****Star**

"Last time I said something about them, you called it sappy and elbowed me!"

**31. ****Home**

"_You_ are my home."

**32. ****Confusion**

Still half-asleep, Minato stared at the wet, orange, yellow and red girl hiding under his bed and asked, "Why are you covered in paint?"

**33. ****Fear**

Jiraiya had to wrestle a hysterical Kushina in order to separate her from his student and the medic-nin trying to save his life.

**34. ****Lightning**

Minato would have laughed at Kushina's hiding from the lightning, but a fierce kick in the shins had him howling in pain.

**35. ****Bonds**

Looking back, Minato found it amazing (and amusing) that a girl who was his complete opposite in almost every sense (and who he'd hated because she always got him in trouble) became the one he loved most.

**36. ****Market**

Again, the Hokage was forced to intervene between his very pregnant lover and a now cowering shopkeeper for not stocking the exact type of ramen she needed.

**37. ****Technology**

Kushina wasn't the most practical shinobi in Konoha, but Minato had to admit she created quite the stunning explosion when she felt like it.

**38. ****Gift**

"_Don't _think that I'm giving this to you because I'll _miss _you or something stupid like that," Kushina wagged her finger at Minato as she dropped a necklace into his hand, "and it's _definitely _not a present so you better return it."

**39. ****Smile**

"Then, you'd better take care of Gama-chan," Minato said, grinning as he emptied his wallet and handed the frog to Kushina.

**40. ****Innocence**

"Minato, say goodbye to your girlfriend!" Jiraiya bellowed cheerfully, earning him a blushing glare from his student and a rock at his head and a shrieked "SHUT UP, ERO-SENSEI!" from said student's 'girlfriend'.

**41. ****Completion**

Minato ran a hand over Kushina's growing stomach, marveling at the feelings holding her and their child brought.

**42. ****Clouds**

As the two teenagers watched the slow clouds drift, two hands wound around each other.

**43. ****Sky**

Kushina was laughing under the clear blue sky from her success at reproducing Rasengan and Minato fell on top of her, kissing her deeply.

**44. ****Heaven**

They didn't really match—she was loud where he was quiet, he was thoughtful where her foot and mouth had an intimate relationship, he considered his actions while she _never _seemed to think—but anyone watching could see they had created their own little heaven among boxes of ramen, rambunctious laughter and orange flames.

**45. ****Hell**

"You were sent to torture me, weren't you?" Minato grumbled, ignoring her bouncing chants of "Mina-chan! Mina-chan! Mina-chan!"

**46. ****Sun**

Minato had a fire and a warmth to rival the sun and Kushina could not help the smile that spread as he looked for _her_, almost lost in the euphoric crowd that continued chanting "Yondaime! Yondaime! Yondaime!"

**47. ****Moon**

The moon was bright when Kushina almost choked Minato after he kissed her before her lips sought his, desperately, aching and needing assurances that he would not leave her.

**48. ****Waves**

Raising an eyebrow at the greetings and waves the new Hokage received, Kushina warned him, "If your head grows big, I'm slamming it against the side of the Hokage Tower."

**49. ****Hair**

Minato liked the contrast of Kushina's bright red hair against his own yellow and laughed that their son would inherit a love for orange.

**50. ****Supernova**

Only the brightest stars supernova, she had said, only the brightest.


	9. Prompt 19: Crazy

**Author's Notes: **Same ones as before. Anyone of these you wish to see expanded, let me know.

And Jiraiya is made of absolute win.

* * *

**01. Walking**

"You mean to tell me that we could have done this trip in _a month_?"

**02. Waltz**

Minato watched Jiraiya fight in awe; there was something of a rough, playful dance in his movements as he ducked and parried _while laughing_.

**03. Wishes**

"Just watch, sensei, you're teaching the future Hokage!"

**04. Wonder**

Jiraiya shook his head in wonder at his oblivious student staring after a furiously stomping Kushina.

**05. Worry**

Jiraiya wanted to scream at the medic-nin like Kushina, but, unfortunately, someone had to remain in control.

**06. Whimsy**

At first, Minato could not understand how such an inane and perverted individual could be a jounin—much less a genin team teacher.

**07. Waste**

Jiraiya massaged his temples as Minato proceeded to empty his stomach of its contents.

**08. Whiskey and rum**

"I cannot believe my _apprentice_ is unable to stomach alcohol."

**09. War**

If he could have, Jiraiya would have kept Minato far away from the battlefield; it was horrifying how a twelve-year old could kill so well.

**10. Weddings**

"Kushina and I will be married right after Naruto's birth and you will be there under your own power or by me dragging you by your hair back to Konoha."

**11. Birthday**

"Well, Mina-chan, it is your birthday and it is time to teach you about the shinobi's three vices, I mean, relaxations."

**12. Blessing**

"Sarutobi-sensei, there is no one more responsible, ingenious or kind than that brat of a student of mine."

**13. Bias**

Despite doing his best to treat all his students fairly (and he, grudgingly, admitted to liking Masashi and Ume), Minato somehow managed to stand out from the rest (in an annoyingly bratty form, of course).

**14. Burning**

Minato and Jiraiya watched the shred of Masashi's shirt burn, Minato struggling to be strong and Jiraiya trying to convince him that it was all right to mourn his fallen teammates.

**15. Breathing **

"Just breathe, sensei," Minato pleaded, "you have to since you still haven't shoved me a cliff for being an ungrateful brat."

**16. Breaking**

It was quite one thing, Jiraiya concluded, watching old veteran shinobi break down, but it was quite another to see a twelve-year old begin to lose his sense of self.

**17. Belief**

"Just stand here, look cute and think of cute, young women."

**18. Balloon**

"I will, sensei, but do I really have to be holding this balloon too?"

**19. Balcony**

From their perch on a balcony, Jiraiya handed Minato a pair of binoculars saying, "Here, Minato, look upon that which is most beautiful."

**20. Bathe**

"Sensei!" Minato screamed and dove at Tsunade before she could finish trying to kill Jiraiya.

**21. Quiet**

Minato had managed to guilt Tsunade into saving Jiraiya, but it was almost for naught after Jiraiya decided to try and measure the circumference of Tsunade's breasts while on the operating table.

**22. Quirks**

"Sensei, you're insane," Minato shook his head at his teacher's idiosyncrasies as Jiraiya giggled to himself, doped up on painkillers and the memory of 106 cm of glory—or so he said.

**23. Question**

"When are you just going to ask Tsunade for a date like a normal person?"

**24. Quarrel**

"Shut up, brat."

**25. Quitting**

"If you don't like people dying, then quit being a shinobi," Jiraiya glared at Minato, who glanced at him stunned.

**26. Jump**

"Look kid, either you man up and tell Kushina how you feel or I will and I'll embellish the facts too."

**27. Jester**

Once upon a time, Minato greeted his sensei's One True Lust—or so Kushina called Tsunade—by sticking out his tongue, but he found grinning widely a la Jiraiya made her look even more disgruntled.

**28. Jousting**

"If there's anyone I want to measure up against, it's you, sensei."

**29. Jewel**

"Yes, I'm sure Tsunade will believe you were staring at her necklace."

**30. Just**

Jiraiya blinked, as his yellow-haired apprentice became a yellow _flash_ right before his eyes.

**31. Smirk**

If Jiraiya's look was anything to go by, his Hiraishin looked better than he could have ever hoped it would.

**32. Sorrow**

When he lost Ume, it hurt like hell; when he lost Masashi, he swore he would not lose the last; when he lost Minato, he could no longer bear to stay in Konoha.

**33. Stupidity**

Jiraiya laughed uproariously before choking when he realized that was _his_ sake Minato was pouring out the window.

**34. Serenade**

"Brat, you can do a lot of things to impress Kushina-chan, but singing isn't one of them."

**35. Sarcasm**

"'I've taken Rasengan to A-level, but it just _isn't _enough!'" Jiraiya mocked Minato in a high-pitched tone that was nothing like his student's voice and only served to annoy Minato further.

**36. Sordid**

Minato admired Jiraiya, he did, but he really, really hated the sort of places Jiraiya sought for 'information'.

**37. Soliloquy**

"I am the great Jiraya-sama of the legendary Sannin and—do not ignore me, you little brat!"

**38. Sojourn**

"What's a Myobokuzan?"

**39. Share**

"This was an old jacket of mine and I figured it'd fit you."

**40. Solitary**

"You're not the first one to have his heart broken, kid, and you won't be the last."

**41. Nowhere**

Minato shook his head at Jiraiya, muttering, "We've been lost for half an hour, Ero-sensei."

**42. Neutral**

"If I henge'd into a pretty, young, naked girl would you still say you don't care?"

**43. Nuance**

This was one of those moments he would laugh at later, Minato decided, but right then there was nothing funny about trying to keep his very drunk sensei from running off to engage an imaginary dragon with cheese in battle.

**44. Near**

Jiraiya smiled at Minato's delighted countenance in the mirror and wondered if this was what having a son felt like.

**45. Natural**

"Look at that," Jiraiya pointed Tsunade out for Minato, "all natural."

**46. Horizon**

Minato could have run up and walked at Jiraiya's side, but at the moment he enjoyed being inside his sensei's long reaching shadow.

**47. Valiant**

Minato squared off against his opponent, refusing to insult Jiraiya's teachings by backing down.

**48. Virtuous**

Jiraiya knew he wasn't the most honorable man, hell, he wondered if he could even be called a good man, but there was no doubt in him that Minato made him better.

**49. Victory**

Minato hid a smile as he said, "Sensei, seems like I've surpassed you."

**50. Defeat**

"Seems like it," Jiraiya admitted, unable to hide the swell of pride as he watched his student's back, the white robe flapping in the breeze.


	10. Prompt 03: Sunrise

**Author's Notes: **See? I keep promises! This is "Weakness" from Chapter Eight as per request. If you have any others you'd like to see expanded, let me know! I still have ninety of these to go!

...Oh dear Jesus!Naruto, I still have ninety of these to go. -headdesks-

* * *

The role of Hokage had an interesting fine print, Minato learned. He was supposed to be the strongest shinobi in Konoha, but this "strongest shinobi" undertook no shinobi missions. The amount of paperwork was ridiculous. The meetings were tedious. Catering to the advisors and the council was draining.

He had painted a target on his back with the creation of Hiraishin and subsequent title of "Konoha's Yellow Flash"—a name Jiraiya and Kushina loved to distort. As Hokage, said target was of monumental proportions. And as Hokage, that target now included anyone and everyone close to him.

Rin held her glowing hands over the cut on Kushina's side. Kushina's face was ashen from the poison on the blade. The killing intent radiating from Minato was enough to make those around him uncomfortable—and deliriously thankful it wasn't aimed at them. The man it _was_ aimed at had passed out from a combination of terror and a Rasengan to the chest. Kakashi had handed him to Minato's ANBU escorts as Minato knelt by Kushina's side.

"I've managed to extract most of the poison," Rin explained quickly before Minato could speak. "But she needs to get to the hospital so that she can be administered an antidote."

Minato nodded, picking Kushina up with ease. Within seconds, he was walking through the hospital doors and ordering a medic-team to look after her. Hours later, he sat by Kushina's bed, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her color was no longer that horrid gray tinge, but she was pale and looked paler still against the deep red of her hair. The hospital supervisor himself had attended her and had told Minato she was out of danger and needed only rest, but Minato could not help but worry, especially after hearing from one of the nurses that they had lost Kushina twice before stabilizing her. He rubbed gentle circles on her unresponsive hand, callused and rough and still managing to be delicate.

It always surprised him when he watched Kushina sleep. She was usually all whipping hair and loud yells and flashing eyes and it was only while asleep that Minato saw how small she could appear.

Feeling someone at the door, he turned before the door opened.

"How is she?" Sarutobi stepped inside. Minato bowed his head in respect at his predecessor.

"She should wake up in a few hours."

Sarutobi nodded gravely and opened his mouth to speak, perhaps to offer sympathy or hope, but Minato interrupted him. "She'll be in danger always. Any child we have. Even Kakashi and Rin."

He hadn't voiced a question, but Sarutobi answered him plainly. "Yes." In that yes, many warnings regarding their future were stored.

Minato reached out to brush a rebellious strand of hair away from her face.

He didn't know when Sarutobi left or when he fell asleep, but he awoke to the soft morning light shyly breezing past the curtains and fingers running through his hair.

Blue eyes meet green. She smiled and he emulated her. Neither spoke or moved, but they did not have to. It was enough to watch her blink, hear her breath, feel her warmth. He clutched her fingers like a lifeline.

It wasn't safe for a man like him when someone else held his heart, but, at the moment, Minato really couldn't care.


	11. Prompt 38: Touch

**Author's Notes: **People, I have no self-control. I've done three more in less than five hours. This is "Touch" from Chapter 8.

* * *

There were many things Minato loved.

He loved good food. And none was a better cook than his lover, something he knew from experience.

He loved those three kids who had become _his_ kids, the two he still had and the one who lived on in a boy's eye.

He loved Konoha or else he would have never shed so much blood for her sake.

He loved the people living within Konoha's walls even if he sometimes thought that the advisors were better off six _hundred_ feet under.

He loved his perverted sensei that had stopped being a teacher such a long time ago, in favor of becoming his father (although he'd be hard put to admit it).

But there was nothing he loved more than Kushina's feather-light touches on his face, her eyes wide in wonder, their hands wrapping around the swell of her stomach and a delighted laugh falling from their lips as their baby kicked again.


	12. Prompt 81: Fool

**Author's Notes: **This would be "Sex" from the same prompts as the two preceding. With some mentions of sex, but nothing even remotely detailed. Just Kushina making Minato's brain shut down, Minato acting like his son (in his better moments) and baby!Naruto still in the process of developing ears.

* * *

"I might be kind of pregnant."

Minato blinked. When he asked her about what was wrong and refused to accept her lies that she was absolutely fine, he had not expected that to be the reason.

A series of questions ran through his head. _What?_ _When?_ It was just his luck that he voiced the most obvious of them. "_How_?"

"Well," Kushina's lips twitched as she hid a roll of her eyes, "if you remember what we did yesterday, last night and this morning, that's how I ended up pregnant."

Flushing slightly as he remembered this morning—oh, this morning—he glared at her slightly. "I know how it came about. I meant—oh, forget it."

He turned around, leaning on the rail encircling the Hokage Tower's roof.

Behind him, Kushina smirked and began counting down. 5…4…3…2…1…

"_You're _PREGNANT?!"

Although expecting it, Kushina jumped at the force of his outburst.

_And people call him a genius_, Kushina thought, a sentiment she never had problems voicing. "You are completely clueless."

But the insult went completely over his head. He was grinning like the idiot she knew he was and he had already moved toward her, Hokage robes fluttering slightly.

"When did you find out? Is the baby okay? When are you due? We're going to be _parents_?"

"A week ago. Yes. End of November. _I'm _going to be a mother, but I've been rethinking the choice of father."

Minato had already been with Kushina so long he was touched and not offended by the false threat. While Kushina knew him enough not to surprised by his idiosyncrasies—most of those inherited from Ero-sensei, unfortunately enough—she couldn't stop the surprised shriek as Minato picked her up, twirling her around the roof. His laughter was contagious. He hugged her to him tightly before letting her go, dropping to his knees. Kushina had to blink back tears as he touched her flat stomach almost reverently; Uzumaki Kushina was not a sap. She could not stop the growing smile as she felt his lips against her shirt and a soft, "Hey, baby."

"You know it has no ears yet," Kushina said quietly, unwilling to break the mood that had settled around them.

Minato grinned. "He can hear me."

"He?" Kushina raised an eyebrow.

Minato stood fluidly, holding her face in his hands. "I don't like calling him 'it'. If he turns out to be a girl, I'll just change the pronoun."

"So…you're happy?"

Minato paused. Kushina's tone was light, but he knew how to read her better than he did himself. There was a fear hidden under the calm face and teasing voice.

"You don't know how long I've wanted a child. You don't know how much I've wanted _our_ child."

He kissed her then, deeply, sweetly, hands moving from her waist to her stomach. When they broke apart, he leaned his forehead against hers. "We're going to be _parents_!"

"You idiot." Kushina giggled at his tone of childish delight before jumping slightly, unable to control her excitement. "We're going to have a baby!"


	13. Prompt 48: Light

**Author's Notes: **Expect two more like this! This was the hardest one so I should get Kakashi's and Naruto's out soon. After at least a week. Because I think I've earned a break.

Again, any of these you'd like to see as a one-shot, drop a line.

* * *

**01. ****Ring**

"You're surrounded!" the enemy shouted before he blinked as the Konoha shinobi before him disappeared and reappeared behind him.

**02. ****Hero**

From morning to night, a relatively unknown ninja became loved and hated throughout as Konoha's Yellow Flash.

**03. ****Memory**

As a four-year old Minato struggled to catch his mother, she lightly teased him, "You'll just have to be faster, Minato-chan."

**04. ****Box**

At his sign, the four remaining shinobi threw his kunai, enclosing the area.

**05. ****Run**

"You already run fast enough to beat a kunai you throw," Jiraiya argued, "what more do you want?"

**06. ****Hurricane**

His surname meant wind and waves and it was only fitting his defining jutsu made him as destructive and rapid as a storm.

**07. ****Wings**

"It's like you're flying, sensei!" Rin exclaimed, amazed.

**08. ****Cold**

Minato was shivering, but Jiraiya only threw some covers over him, knowing he would not want to be moved from his training grounds.

**09. ****Red**

His first seal was red, red that couldn't be ignored, red to confuse the blood.

**10. ****Drink**

"Sensei, if I can master this within two weeks, you can't drink any sake for a month."

**11. ****Midnight**

Midnight came and went, Jiraiya observed, and the brat's sleeping bag remained untouched.

**12. ****Temptation**

"The other way to travel to Myobokuzan," Jiraiya ignored his rather pissed off apprentice who was still annoyed at the extended trip, "is via a reverse Kuchiyose and is instantaneous."

**13. ****View**

Myobokuzan was amazing, but Minato barely saw it, focused as he was on a red strip of paper so far away he could not see it.

**14. ****Music**

He grew accustomed to the toad's symphonies as he trained day and night, seeing seals everywhere he looked.

**15. ****Silk**

The movement was smooth and no longer dizzying or draining.

**16. ****Cover**

"Just seal some of your chakra and wrap it around your target," Jiraiya bellowed sarcastically.

**17. ****Promise**

"I did it, sensei, so hand over the sake."

**18. ****Dream**

"I can be fast enough, I will be, I will be, I will be…"

**19. ****Candle**

Hiraishin made him as brief as a candle's flame, here one second and gone the next.

**20. ****Talent**

"If anyone can figure this out, it's you, brat."

**21. ****Silence**

Minato closed Ume's eyes, trying to ignore Masashi's yells that he wasn't fast enough.

**22. ****Journey**

Minato cynically learned that it wasn't the journey, but the destination as he landed, yet again, short of the seal.

**23. ****Fire**

The sun burned his back and Minato swore the light moving so effortlessly from place to place was mocking him, as he lay unable to move.

**24. ****Strength**

It didn't matter how fast he was if he was out of chakra by the time he got there.

**25. ****Mask**

When he used Hiraishin, he sometimes wondered if he traveled so fast his emotions could not catch up or if it was simply another effect of war.

**26. ****Ice**

Item number 236 on the list of things Kushina must never hear about: fast velocity and ice are not a good combination.

**27. ****Fall**

If glares could set objects on fire, the seal would be burning after Minato fell just short of it.

**28. ****Forgotten**

"No one will remember your name, just your flashing," Kushina teased.

**29. ****Dance**

If the movement were slowed, it would look like a dance: a deadly, fluid dance.

**30. ****Body**

His seals became extensions of his body and Minato learned, to his great delight, that they expanded his senses monumentally.

**31. ****Sacred**

So he probably should not have broken into a shrine to raid the scrolls, but he now had the information to produce the seals he needed _and_ he proved that his new jutsu served as an excellent escape method.

**32. ****Farewells**

Minato turned around only once to catch a final view of Myobokuzan, the place where he had mastered sage arts, begun a new jutsu based on shape manipulation and discovered a form of movement that redefined space-time jutsus.

**33. ****World**

"That's a frightening thought," Jiraiya countered Minato's playful boasting that he could go anywhere anytime.

**34. ****Formal**

He couldn't help but laugh; among those screaming "Yondaime", there were some crying "Yellow Flash!"

**35. ****Fever**

Minato was almost delirious, but he still heard Jiraiya telling him that if he dared train himself into illness again, he would master Minato's new jutsu for him and kill him fifty times before Minato could blink.

**36. ****Laugh**

"Unbelievable," Kushina muttered, "he moves faster than his damn laugh can evaporate."

**37. ****Lies**

_I'll be there when you need me_, he thought, watching his genin team run in the opposite direction.

**38. ****Forever**

"You won't be able to cheat time forever," Orochimaru hissed.

**39. ****Overwhelmed**

He felt the throw of the kunai he'd given Kakashi and blinked away, fearing for the grey-haired boy.

**40. ****Whisper**

"Summoning is instantaneous," Minato repeated softly.

**41. ****Wait**

"What are you thinking of naming it?" Jiraiya asked his apprentice, to which Minato only shrugged.

**42. ****Talk**

"'Flying Thunder God'," Jiraiya declared after a pause, complete with dramatic pose.

**43. ****Search**

Jiraiya snorted; even something as innocent as Hide and Seek became ridiculously difficult with Minato's Hiraishin.

**44. ****Hope**

Sarutobi observed Jiraiya's student's movements from his vantage point and had to agree that if anyone could protect Konoha, it was he.

**45. ****Eclipse**

"You haven't just surpassed me," Jiraiya told Minato's exhausted, sleeping form, "you've surpassed us all."

**46. ****Gravity**

It was a pull around his waist and depending on where he focused, he fell toward it.

**47. ****Highway**

It was an interesting image; with his seals in place, everything was an obstacle-less road.

**48. ****Unknown**

He was close, so close to a breakthrough, but the answer lingered just out of his reach.

**49. ****Lock**

Kushina was a bad influence, Minato realized, but he continued picking the lock, needing the scrolls on the other side.

**50. ****Breathe**

His breathing was labored; his legs hurt; his arms trembled violently; he sweated copiously; he was simultaneously hot and cold—but he was standing above his seal.


	14. Prompt 01: Tired

**Author's Notes:** "Tired," "Whisper," and "Scream" are requests. And they all have, at minimum, two entries from the 1 sentence challenges. See if you can catch all the entries. 8D

And many, many thanks to my beta, Dark Hope Assassin. Any mistakes you see are the result of my screwing around before uploading.

* * *

"Ugh, I'm exhausted." Kushina threw herself into the long grass.

"Do you need to announce every change in mood?" Minato teased. Kushina threw some grass in his direction. The wind returned the blades to her.

"I'd hit you, but I'm too tired."

Minato laughed, dropping next to her. He lay on his back, looking for shapes in the clouds.

"Look, a bowl of ramen!"

"Where?" Kushina sat up, head whipping back and forth. Smirking slightly, Minato pointed out a bowl-like cloud. Kushina shot him a dark look.

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm with you."

"It's all thanks to my charm." Minato winked at her, crossing his arms behind his head. His shirt rode up slightly with the movement.

Kushina snorted. "Charm. Right. Like you forgetting I'm allergic to shellfish and serving me a bowl. Charming."

"That was once!" Minato tried to defend himself. "And I didn't kill you as you're well aware."

Expecting an outburst, he was surprised at the silence that greeted his words. Glancing down, he saw Kushina's finger hovering over the edge of the revealed scar marring his side. She frowned; an emotion Minato could not name darkened her features.

Minato pulled his shirt down. Changing the subject, he laughed. "I remember our first kiss and I remember how you tried to throttle me after."

"You damn well deserved it," Kushina muttered darkly as she cuffed him around the head, ensuring the blow wasn't soft at all. Minato was relieved to see her react. "You nearly killed yourself, you idiot."

Minato's smile grew soft. "But you weren't hurt."

Kushina rolled her eyes, muttering something about chauvinistic arrogant bastards.

As the two teenagers watched the slow clouds drift, two hands wound around each other.


	15. Prompt 65: Scream

It was raining. The clouds had gathered long before, darkening with the smoke from the battlefield. A torrential downpour now threatened to drown all underneath it.

Minato felt the drops on his face. His mind drifted and he found himself wondering how the moon was shining through such ominous clouds. He was barely aware of a confusing din of explosions and yells around him and Kushina's screams.

Wait. His mind struggled to focus. Kushina screaming? Was she hurt? Had something happened? Eyes narrowing, he sought her voice and was rewarded with her yells that he was a stupid, self-sacrificing _bastard_ and if he dared die she would revive him and kill him herself.

Die? He was dying?

It was then he registered the pain. Pain. Such pain as he'd never felt before. White-hot needles stabbed into his skin. His pores were screaming. Waves of unadulterated agony washed over him from his wet, strained and _hurting_ side.

Kushina was still screaming.

Minato focused on the sound of her cry, caught sight of tearing green eyes so vivid in their fear and grabbed her face in his hand. Without thinking, he pressed his lips to hers. Surprise filtered through him as he learned her mouth tasted like chocolate: smooth and warm and so sinfully delicious.

The movement, however, jarred the wound in his side—because it was a wound, Minato realized, and a large one at that. He groaned against her mouth—because of the kiss or the pain?—and sank into darkness.


	16. Prompt 63: Whisper

It was raining and Minato had collapsed with a _gash_ in his side and the moon was shining mockingly and he was _hurt_ and Kushina wanted to hurt _something_, _anything_ and he had _kissed_ her and ohgodohgodohgodohgod.

"You asshole!" she yelled into his face, hands wrapping around his neck. He was her friend, her only friend. And he was _dying_ for her and he had _kissed _her and who the _hell_ did he think he _was_? She shrieked in anger, in confusion, in hurt before her lips sought his desperately, aching and needing assurances that he would not leave her.

Watching, Jiraiya could see his fear emulated in her palidity and the stark lines of her body. He was unsurprised when she nearly attacked the medic-nin telling her to back away, but he knew that if she wanted to see Minato pull through, she would have to let him go.

Unfortunately, a hysterical Kushina was not reasonable.

"Let go of me! Let go of me, you perverted bastard!" Kushina fought him. She twisted in his hold, nails raking into his arms, his neck, any piece of him she could reach. "Let me go! Minato! Minato, damn you, _wake up_!"

Jiraiya had to wrestle her into the soaked ground, keeping her away from his student and the medic-nin. She was sobbing freely now and swearing the medic would have a fate worse than death if Minato did not wake soon. Jiraiya wanted to scream at the medic-nin like Kushina, but, unfortunately, someone had to remain in control.

When he finally had her pinned, the fight abandoned Kushina. Her hands spasmed shut, mud oozing between her fingers. Jiraiya barely heard her whimpers.

"You _can't _leave me," she whispered. "You can't just _save_ me and _kiss_ me and _die_. It doesn't work that way, you bastard. It doesn't work that way…"


	17. Prompt 77: Upset

**Author's Notes: **Instead of paying attention in organic chem, I was writing this. Amazing what the mechanism for the oxidation of carboxylic acids inspires.

* * *

Morning found Minato throwing shuriken. There was bloodletting in every point of the weapon; each star embedded itself deeper than a casual throw should have merited. His eyes were a dark azure.

As Jiraiya trudged toward the training grounds, he was surprised to find Minato already training—and apparently been doing so for several hours. One post was in pieces and the other looked like a porcupine. His apprentice glared at the post as if it had insulted him.

"Needed to work something off?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow when Minato started. Something was definitely wrong. The brat should have sensed his presence a long time ago.

Minato recovered quickly, one hand rising to scratch the back of his neck. "Just wanted a good training session." He grinned.

Anyone else would have believed him, but Jiraiya knew him better than anyone. Immediately, he noticed the strained quality of Minato's smile and how closed his eyes appeared.

No, that wasn't true. There was one other person who could read Minato better than…she could…herself.

"Have you seen Kushina-chan?" At Jiraiya's innocent question, Minato flushed, paled, swore and went back to being red in the span of three seconds.

Jiraiya hid a knowing smirk. Of course, Kushina would be the source of Minato's problems. She _was_ a bundle of problems. A well-proportioned bundle. With a huge smile and an even bigger—

"Kill that train of thought. Dead."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at the faintly snarling boy. "You don't know what I'm thinking."

Minato's glare grew more pronounced. "You're thinking of Kushina. And I know," he continued before Jiraiya could ask, "because you have the same look on your face as when you saw her again."

Caught, Jiraiya shrugged. "Well, Kushina-chan has become quite a—"

Jiraiya had to duck to avoid the shuriken. "Sensei, shut up."

All right, something was _definitely _wrong. Minato was usually polite and courteous enough to drive Jiraiya up a wall. And he had a feeling he knew what the problem was.

Ignoring Minato's warning look, he continued, "As I was saying, Kushina-chan has become quite a catch. Shiro—was that his name?—is a lucky man."

"He's not a man," Minato muttered.

"Young adult," Jiraiya corrected, waving his hand condescendingly.

Noticing Minato was withdrawing into himself, Jiraiya decided it was time to aim someplace it would hurt. "You're not the first one to have his heart broken, kid, and you won't be the last."

His words had the desired effect. Minato's head snapped up, eyes flashing. His hand twitched near his weapons holster. "What are you—" he broke off, noticing the fain note of panic in his voice. Inhaling deeply, he started again. "I'm not heartbroken."

"Yes, you are," Jiraiya replied bluntly. "You've cared for that girl since we found her half-dead and fleeing from Whirlpool. Since she was such a tomboy, you never saw her as a girl except for a few moments—and you know which moments I'm talking about. You gave her _Gama-chan_ and you don't trust anyone with it, not even me."

"That's because you'd spend all my money on women and sake," Minato pointed out. Jiraiya ignored him.

"Then you leave and never let go of that necklace she gave you—" At Jiraiya's words, Minato's hand closed reflexively around his neck before he realized what he was doing and let go. "When you come back, you find a beautiful sixteen-year old who seems to care for you. Except this girl has a boyfriend. So you don't know how to react because you want her to be happy, but you can't help but feel almost betrayed. And since it was always just the two of you, you now despise Shiro for getting in the way."

Minato's mouth had dropped open. "How do you know all that?"

"I'm going to be a novelist. I have to be observant. And you're better than a soap opera."

For the sake of his sanity, Minato ignored the remark. "That may be, but she's with Shiro and she's happy."

"No, she's not."

"What?" Minato blinked.

"Shiro's just a replacement." Jiraiya hoped Minato would figure it out himself.

"For what?" Apparently not.

Feeling a vein pulse in his temple, Jiraiya struggled to control his urge to slam the blond head into the nearest tree. "And people call you a genius," he snorted. "Have you noticed who Shiro looks like?"

Minato's face was blank.

Jiraiya tried to be less subtle. "Blond hair? Blue eyes? A little on the quiet side?"

Minato blinked.

"You, you idiot!" Jiraiya exploded. "He looks like you!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Minato half-yelled and Jiraiya would have cuffed him around the head if not for Minato's eyes narrowing in faint understanding. "Kushina is my _friend_. She doesn't—"

Finally getting fed up, Jiraiya crossed his arms to control the urge to cause his blockheaded apprentice bodily harm. "Look, kid, either you man up and tell Kushina how you feel or I will and I'll embellish the facts too."

Minato's eyes widened. "You wouldn't!"

"I would." Jiraiya grinned evilly, before his lips extended into a leer. "But if you're dead-set against doing anything with Kushina, you won't mind if I invite her to the hot springs with me, would you?"

There was a pregnant pause.

If his following attempt to strangle Jiraiya with the man's own hair could be taken for an answer, then Minato minded very much.


	18. Prompt 66: Fail

**Author's Notes: **In honor of Kakashi Gaiden finally being animated (IT'S ABOUT TIME), I decided a Team Minato one-shot was necessary. And it proved to be the longest one I've written so far at 4000+ words. What I do for the love of Kakashi, Rin, Obito and Minato. Especially Minato. (MIIINAAATOOO) I have a feeling this Thursday's episode might send me into a catatonic state of delirious happiness (or, conversely, a fit of maniacal fangirlish rage). So if you don't see a one-shot this weekend, well, that'd be why.

* * *

Every ninja had a mission they would rather not remember. It was too painful, too disturbing or too embarrassing.

Unfortunately for Team Minato, their latest mission was all of the above.

"How about we never speak of this again?" Obito laughed nervously.

Rin was still shocked; Kakashi ignored Obito even more than he usually did; Minato could not suppress the urge to take a jab at his students.

"So how was that kiss?"

Rin sank to the floor with a groan as Kakashi and Obito dove at their teacher. Their captive and the scroll fell as Minato had to drop them to fend off his students' attack.

The mission should have been simple enough. They were sent to track down a Mist missing-nin named Daisuke who had shifted his alliances to Iwagakure. He had information Konoha needed. They were to capture him and return him to Konoha for interrogation. He had last been sighted near Grass and they headed there.

Things did not become difficult until they snuck into his house. Apparently, Iwa was happy with him because the "house" was composed of three buildings, united by long passages. If the hallway they found themselves in was any indication, the inside was labyrinthine in nature, with numerous doors and halls branching away at irregular intervals.

"He'll probably be somewhere in the middle building," Minato surmised. He looked up and down the semi-lit hall. "We'll have to split up. Rin and I will form one pair. Kakashi and Obito, you'll form the other."

"Why do I have to be stuck with _him_?" Obito jabbed a finger in Kakashi's direction.

"Because you're useless alone," Kakashi replied drily.

"What did you say?!" Obito looked ready to jump Kakashi. Kakashi, for his part, looked bored.

"Boys," Minato reprimanded. "Now is not the time for such arguments. We've been lucky so far, but it'll be best if our presence goes unnoticed. I'm partnering you two because you balance each other out. Now…" He stepped forward, resting his hand on Kakashi's shoulder, then Obito's. A seal appeared on each boy's skin. "If at any point you need me or you find something, channel chakra to this seal. No matter where you are, I'll be able to reach you.

"You know the mission. This is a capture so we have to be much more careful." He frowned warningly at his three subordinates, especially the two boys. "And that means you have to be _quiet_. Understood?"

The three children nodded their heads.

"All right." Minato straightened. "Move out!"

* * *

"Sensei, wouldn't it have been better if I were partnered with Kakashi or Obito?" Rin asked.

"Those two need to learn to work together," Minato answered. He smiled at Rin. "Perhaps this time they won't need your mediating influence."

"Kakashi will kill Obito, sensei," she replied bluntly.

"He'll certainly try." Minato sighed. A noise around the corner ahead drew him to a standstill. A warning hand shot out and Rin froze in place.

"Package is arriving today, isn't it?" A rough voice half-whispered.

"It's already here," his companion answered. "I think Master…"

The voices trailed off. Minato waited until he was certain no one was around before moving.

"Package?" Rin asked quietly.

"It's not part of our mission. We're not obligated to verify its contents." His tone, however, belied his statements.

Minato separated from the wall, motioning Rin to follow him. Just as he reached the corner, one of the former voices called out, "Hey wait! I think you dropped it over here!"

There was the sound of jogging feet moving toward the two hidden ninja.

Minato grabbed Rin, pushing her into the first room he sensed was empty. He closed the door behind them. Rin bit back a surprised yelp as she found herself in the darkness, clutching the back of her teacher's jounin vest. He rested against the door, listening carefully.

Rin strained her senses. To her surprise—and subsequent dismay—she felt something crawling _up her back_. Tensing immediately, her skin broke out into goosebumps. Slowly turning her head, she tried to see whatever it was.

Eyes. Scarlet beady eyes staring right back at her.

Moaning faintly, she pressed herself against Minato's back.

"Sensei," she gasped. "Sensei!"

"What is it, Rin?" Minato turned slightly, concerned by her tone.

"Sensei!" She made a small noise of panic at the back of her throat.

Fumbling slightly, Minato managed to find a torch hanging on the wall. Breathing a fire jutsu, he lit it.

The cheerful light illuminated a massive grey rat. It was fat, its fur matted and dirty. Its eyes shone malevolently.

Rin felt faint. "Sensei…!"

Minato tried to shove it off, but it hissed at him, baring fangs. Noticing that Rin was about to scream, he clapped his hand around her mouth, quickly striking the rat off. The action, however, left him unprepared for when she jumped into his arms. Her hands immediately locked around his neck, cutting off air.

The torch fell from his grasp and clattered on the swarming floor.

Wait. Swarming?

Teacher and student's eyes widened as they beheld the thousands of rats in the room.

One hand grabbed the door handle and turned it violently. He dashed through it, Rin still clinging to him, and shut it on the wave of rats. Dimly, he heard the sound of the rats hitting the door and furious squeaks filling the air.

Quickly looking around, he breathed a sigh of relief that no one had sensed them. Except for the rats. What the hell were so many rats doing in that room? Was it genjutsu? Had they activated a trap? If so, was the lack of response another trap?

He would have tried to decipher the mystery, but he had a slightly more pressing problem; Rin wasn't letting him breathe.

"Rin," he managed to gasp. "Rin, it's okay. They're away now. You can let go." He tried to pry her hands away from his neck, but Rin simply whimpered and clung tighter. Further struggles only augmented his problem.

Satisfying himself with simply relaxing her clutch enough to let him breathe, he continued walking, Rin maintaining a death-grip on him.

* * *

Obito and Kakashi were not having an easy time. They did not have an easy time with Minato-sensei and Rin present. The lack of their teacher and teammate's presence meant one of the two was likely to be killed (or seriously maimed).

Kakashi wasn't sure if he was going to kill Obito or kill himself to avoid Obito.

"…why would sensei pair up such a stuck-up ass with me," Obito was muttering. Kakashi was trying to control his urge to permanently shut the idiot up. "And the smell is killing me! This entire place stinks of fish."

"Can you stop mumbling to yourself?" Kakashi finally snapped. "We're supposed to be quiet."

"I _am_ being quiet!" Obito replied indignantly.

"You haven't shut up since we separated from Rin and sensei."

"Yeah, well, you're—"

Whatever Obito was going to say was abruptly cut off as Kakashi slammed his hand over his mouth, shoving him against the wall.

"Shh!" Kakashi hissed when he noticed Obito was about to fight him. Both of them stilled as the voices reached them.

"Ah, Daisuke-sama! Here is the scroll."

Keeping close to the wall, Kakashi bent to the floor. He fished out a small mirror from his bag, carefully angling it around the corner.

"That's the target!" Obito gasped as the boys saw the green-haired man reflected in the mirror. If looks could kill, Obito would have died a thousand times over from the withering glance Kakashi shot him. As it was, he merely fell quiet.

"About time." Daisuke grabbed the end of the scroll, pulling it free of the wrappings. He thumbed the edge and peeled it open. "Perfect. Take this to my library."

From what Kakashi could tell, there was a jutsu printed on the surface. Daring to look around the corner himself, he squinted at the object.

Not just jutsu. _Forbidden_ jutsu.

As per the rules, he had to inform Minato-sensei before taking any decision himself. He began to creep away from the corner, intent on summoning his teacher.

Obito had other plans.

"Are those forbidden jutsu?" Obito asked. "We need to take that to Konoha!"

"No, Obito!" Kakashi lunged at him to stop him from running around the corner and into the presence of six ninja. Obito, loudmouth that he was, cried out in surprise.

"What was that?"

_I wonder if they'll grant me the privilege of killing Obito before they kill me_, Kakashi thought.

"We have an intruder, Daisuke-sama. The trap in the rat room has been set off."

"Go after them!"

A chorus of "Yes, Daisuke-sama!" greeted Daisuke's words as his men scrambled.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kakashi pushed off of Obito, pulling him away.

"_What _is _this_?"

Daisuke's voice was too close for comfort.

Kakashi and Obito turned around slowly, sinking into defensive stances. Before Kakashi could move, a strong blow slammed him against the wall. He slid down painfully.

"Kakashi!" Obito yelled before Daisuke was upon him and—_petting him_?

"Oh, you're such a cute little boy!" Daisuke enthused. "Do you have a partner?"

"Uh…" Obito blinked, glancing at Kakashi. "Ye—"

"Oh, perfect! Since you do not have one, I'll be yours!" Daisuke leered and grabbed Obito, slinging him over his shoulder.

"Kaka-_shi_!" Obito's voice rose an octave at the last syllable as Daisuke began fondling his back.

Kakashi stood, preparing to attack. The movement made Daisuke turn around, glaring at him.

"You," he stated, "are ugly."

Kakashi blinked.

Obito was still squirming. "Let go of me!"

"Don't worry, my adorable little boy!" Daisuke cooed. "We'll soon be somewhere much more comfortable."

"Let him go or you'll end up hurt," Kakashi interrupted.

Daisuke glared. "He's not your little boy."

"No, he's my _idiot_," Kakashi corrected.

"Yeah, yeah!" Obito pointed wildly. "I'm his—hey!"

"Obito, now!" Kakashi ordered, taking a running dive at Daisuke. Obito wasn't sure what the 'now' meant, but figured he had to do something. Quickly forming the hand seals, he channeled chakra.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Kakashi grabbed Obito, pulling him away from the fire-decorated Daisuke. As they landed a short distance away, they heard a terrifying sound.

Daisuke was _laughing_.

"Oh, I love those who play hard to get!" Daisuke was cackling. "Come here, my precious little boy-toy!"

Eyes wide, the boys ran. They didn't stop until Kakashi finally sensed there was no one nearby. They sagged against a wall, regaining their breath.

"If you ever…tell _anyone_…" Obito threatened between gasps.

Kakashi massaged his temples, as if doing so would remove the images.

"I could feel his nails on me!" Obito was moaning. "Thank God my mother made me wear a second shirt."

"Obito, shut up."

Ignoring Kakashi, Obito curiously looked around. "So…where are we?"

* * *

Over the last few minutes, Rin's grasp had slowly relaxed.

"You okay?" Minato asked conscientiously. She nodded mutely.

"Think you can walk?" She nodded again. Stopping, Minato set her gently on the floor. Rin inhaled deeply, regaining her bearings. Then she smiled at her sensei, letting him see her purple-striped cheeks. Minato grinned back, tousling her hair gently. "Let's keep moving."

They continued down the halls, avoiding guards every now and then. The guards were on high alert, evident in their sharp eyes and tense lines. Minato had no doubt the room he and Rin had stumbled into had been rigged with a genjutsu. He was careful to avoid any other rooms.

By this time, he and Rin were deep inside the middle and largest building. He could sense Kakashi and Obito somewhere in the opposite wing. It was becoming harder for him to avoid detection. On more than one occasion, Minato had to place one of his seals on a needle and throw it past a group of enemy ninja. Telling Rin to hold on to him tightly, he would perform Hiraishin and summon them to safety.

"It's like you're flying, sensei!" Rin exclaimed the first time he used it. Her smile was euphoric as she observed the distance they had covered in less than a second.

Just when Minato believed they had been going in circles—another genjutsu?—a slightly high-pitched voice caught his attention. Creeping slowly toward the source, he followed it to sliding paper doors. Rin followed, masking her chakra.

"I want my little boy found!" the voice cried. "Such a cute little tease. And those goggles! Adorable."

Rin mouthed what Minato was thinking. _Obito?_

"What about the kid with him?" a gruff voice asked.

"Eh, get rid of him. Must be hideous to have to cover half his face."

"Kakashi isn't ugly," Rin argued under her breath. Minato frowned in warning at her, even as he suppressed an amused smile.

"There are seven inside," Minato whispered. "We can't afford to linger." As he spoke, he withdrew a scroll from his vest. Performing the appropriate seals, a series of kunai appeared in a small cloud of smoke. Understanding quickly, Rin grabbed them.

"Wait, did you hear something?"

"I think someone's outside."

Rin smiled. _Too late_. She aimed for the hearts of chakra she could sense, but knew that even if she missed, the end result was the same. The paper sliding tore; Minato disappeared.

A yellow flash tore through the room.

By the time Rin blinked, six men lay on the floor and Minato held Daisuke at knifepoint.

Their target reminded her of a shrimp: short, fat and pink. He had small black eyes and even smaller teeth sharpened to a point. Those eyes were widened as much as they could (which wasn't much) and he was gasping, "You're the Yellow Flash."

Minato did not respond.

Daisuke observed him from the corner of his eyes. "You're older than I like them," he stated. "But that golden hair, those baby-blue eyes, such a youthful face…I'll make an exception!" He tried to jump Minato, pincer-like hands grabbing his arms.

His face slammed right into the bottom of Minato's shoe. The blonde shoved him against the floor again.

"H-how?" Daisuke gasped. "You're not supposed to be able to move from the aphrodisiac!"

"Aphrodisiac?" Rin blinked. It was then she noticed small drops of clear liquid at his nails.

"Because that's not me," Minato's voice answered from behind him. The kage bunshin Daisuke had attacked disappeared. Before Daisuke could defend himself, Minato struck so fast Rin couldn't follow the movement. She simply saw Daisuke's eyes roll to the top of his head and he sank to the floor in a dead faint. The moment he was unconscious, the jutsu surrounding the other men in the room died out, leaving in their place an assortment of sea creatures. Rin would have wondered about the struggling fish and prawn, but she was wondering about a slightly more disturbing matter.

"Sensei, did he just try to…?" Rin trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"Yes." Minato looked oddly unperturbed.

"You're…okay?"

"I'm a handsome man." Minato winked. "Besides, I would have been fine. Can you imagine what Kushina would have done if he actually touched me?"

Remembering Kushina-san's reaction to a drunk kunoichi who offered to bear Minato-sensei's children—and the emergency surgery she had to perform in the street after Minato pulled Kushina off the woman—Rin shuddered.

* * *

"Just look at how many scrolls there are!" Obito gasped.

After going in circles for the better part of fifteen minutes, they had found the library. Innumerable piles of scrolls rested against the walls, on tables, on the floor.

"Don't know what you're so happy about. Do you even know how to hold one?"

"Of course I do! What kind of idiot doesn't know how to hold a scroll?"

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow.

Obito stalked forward until he realized what Kakashi's look meant. "Hey! I know how to hold a scroll." To prove his point, he snatched one, unfurling it furiously.

"Obito? That's upside down."

"Oh."

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi strode forward. "Stop being an idiot. We have to look for that scroll."

"I am not an idiot!"

"Your actions contradict your words."

"You just wait! I'm going to beat your ass into the ground one day!"

"Could you be any louder? I think they failed to hear you in Suna. You're a disgrace as a ninja!"

"Why you—!" Obito dove at Kakashi. Not expecting it, Kakashi hit the ground hard. He was up quickly, rolling them over and punching Obito. Snarling, Obito aimed his knee up, catching Kakashi in the stomach. He grinned as Kakashi gasped, but Obito's victory was swiftly cut off as the other boy attempted to strangle him with his own goggles.

Had the fight continued, Kakashi might have killed Obito. However, they rolled into one of the stands and a large scroll landed right where their heads had been.

"Aie!" Obito shrieked, clutching Kakashi's vest. The grey-haired boy stared.

"Did you just scream like a girl?"

"Like hell I did!" Obito snapped, but a red flush was creeping up his neck.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you—"

"Hey, isn't that the scroll?" Obito pointed to the red object that had almost crushed them. "Let's open it!"

Kakashi seized the hand that had reached for the edge. "No."

"Oh, come on, Kakashi. Stop being such a hard-ass," Obito wheedled. "Just one peek."

Kakashi's eyes were hard. "No."

"How could one look hurt?"

"Remember the second part of the Chuunin exam? What would have happened if you had peeked?"

Obito stared at him as if to check if he was joking. "You honestly think sensei is waiting on the other side to knock us out?"

"A defensive _jutsu_ could be waiting on the other side."

"You're so paranoid."

"You're an idiot."

"Ugh, I can't stand you!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "That doesn't even merit a response."

"That _was_ a response, genius!"

The two boys would have continued arguing when a sudden creaking caught their attention.

"What was that?" Obito whispered. Kakashi did not respond. His eyes narrowed, searching for the source in the semi-darkness. They pressed closer to each other.

Another shuffle reached their ears and Obito whipped out his kunai. However, he miscalculated the distance between him and Kakashi. Kakashi managed to jump back enough to avoid the blade's edge touching his skin, but it managed to cut through his belt. His pants pooled around his knees.

"Hey—!" Kakashi had reacted to avoid being cut, but he failed to foresee his pants dropping. He tripped on them, one hand shooting out to try to steady himself on Obito. The other boy was unprepared for the added weight and fell backwards. Kakashi fell over him, one elbow digging into Obito's stomach. In pain, the Uchiha instinctively tried to curl around his abdomen as Kakashi hiked upward, trying to avoid a knee to his groin. The end result proved to be their heads meeting…by their _lips_.

Kakashi was livid; Obito was petrified; both accidentally channeled chakra through their bodies and to Minato's seal.

A torch flared to life, revealing Minato, Rin and their target who was hanging unconscious from Minato's shoulder.

Rin's jaw hit the floor. Minato dropped the target. Daisuke groaned.

Kakashi lay over Obito, pants around his ankles, Obito's knee separating his legs. Their hair was mussed, their clothes disheveled. And they were _kissing_.

"Ohh!" Rin clapped her hands over her eyes, groaning as she curled to the floor. She was not sure whether to feel jealous or appalled.

Minato, for his part, schooled his shock. "When I said 'balance each other out', I didn't mean you should try out different positions."

"Sensei!" Kakashi and Obito chorused, managing to disengage their mouths. Kakashi struggled to get off Obito and Obito strove to shove him away. They only managed to entangle each other further.

Rin, thinking it safe, looked up—and promptly hid behind her hands again as she saw them thrusting against each other.

Minato, however, was having too much fun. "Now, boys, I know you're willing to continue your, uh, rivalry, but please consider Rin and me."

As he was speaking, Daisuke had regained consciousness. Opening one bleary eye, he was greeted to the sight of Minato, grinning, his golden hair burnished by the light, eyes bright with laughter.

"Oh, you're still here! Playing rough, are we? I love it rough."

Minato's laughter died a sudden painful death.

"Wait a minute! You were calling me your boy-toy earlier and now you're flirting with sensei!" Obito snapped indignantly.

"You _want_ him to call you his 'boy-toy'?" Kakashi stared at him as if Obito had grown a second head.

"No," Obito spluttered. "But it's the _principle_ of the thing!"

"Boy-toy?" Rin yelped.

Minato could feel a pounding headache brewing right behind his eyes.

Meanwhile, Daisuke had cleared his dizziness and was gaping at Obito and Kakashi. "Get off him, you masked freak! Don't contaminate my little boy with your hideousness!"

"Kakashi is _not _ugly! And Obito is _not_ yours!" Rin stood up, glaring at the man at her feet.

"Ugh, a _girl_," he bemoaned. "Such horrifying creatures. Get out of my house, you toe rag."

The other three males in the room reacted to defend Rin (well, Kakashi stood mostly for the excuse to beat Daisuke into unconsciousness), but Rin suddenly kicked Daisuke, her foot glowing blue. Unconscious again, his head dropped with a dull _thunk_ to the floor.

"Did you just channel medical jutsu to your foot?" Obito squinted at Rin.

"We need him alive, Rin." Minato chastised her. She ducked her head.

"I apologize, sensei," she said. "But I made sure he didn't die. He just won't wake up for a while."

Minato shook his head. "All right, you three. We need to leave. Unless you two need a second," Minato offered politely. Kakashi hauled his pants up, glaring, while Obito tried to hide behind a scroll.

"Oh, sensei!" Obito exclaimed, pointing at the scroll shielding his body. "This is the forbidden jutsu scroll the creepy dude had!"

"Forbidden jutsu?" Minato held out his hands and Obito shoved the large scroll into them.

"Could that be the package we heard about, sensei?" Rin asked.

Examining the binding, Minato nodded. "Probably. We'll take this with us as well." Quickly slinging it around his back and hauling Daisuke's unconscious body from the floor, he motioned for his three students to gather around him. "Ready," he said, activating Hiraishin.

The seal he'd planted on a tree just outside the grounds glowed with energy before three children, two men and one oversized scroll flashed beneath it. Minato took a moment to breathe. Hiraishin drained none of his energy transporting him, but transporting others as well was taxing.

"Can we go home now?" Obito asked miserably. He yelped and hid behind Rin at the dirty look Kakashi shot him. Rin opened her bag and pulled out some gauze. She offered it to Kakashi as a makeshift belt. Kakashi accepted it wordlessly, but his gratitude was palpable. As she glanced between her two teammates, her gaze grew unfocused. She held a green-glowing hand to her forehead.

Minato was tempted to ask her to do the same to him. However, if his time with Jiraiya had taught him anything, it was how to find humor in all situations (or else he'd have killed Jiraiya-sensei long ago).

"How about we never speak of this again?" Obito scratched the back of his neck, keeping a healthy distance from Kakashi.

And it was just too easy.

"So how was that kiss?" Immediately, he had to duck to avoid the flurry of shuriken thrown his way, followed by one of the Uchiha clan's fire jutsu.

Daisuke collapsed in an unceremonious heap, the scroll landing right on his head.

Rin, meanwhile, clutched her head tighter. Groaning, she rocked herself slightly. Daring to look up, she saw Kakashi and Obito trying to kill sensei—keyword being 'trying'—and the image was so soothingly _normal_, she was able to put the mission from hell out of mind and begin preparing the gauzes for Obito once Kakashi decided to turn on him.


	19. Prompt 87: Genius

**Author's Notes:** Penultimate 1 sentence entry. I love the relationship between Minato and Kakashi. It's obvious from listening to Kakashi that he greatly respected Minato, and not just because he was his sensei and Hokage.

You know the drill. Any of these are up for expansion (the exception being number 44 for obvious reasons).

And now going off on a tangent, 3000+ hits! I am shocked. As wonderful as it is to watch the number of hits, faves and alerts, I love receiving reviews more. Don't worry, I'm not immature enough to hold future chapters for ransom. But I want reviews NAO! XD

* * *

**01. ****Air**

"There are days I feel that I'm so close," Minato confessed to his student, both observing the chaotic blue swirl of Rasengan.

**02. ****Apples**

Minato grabbed an apple, bouncing it off his shoulder and letting it roll down his arm, jerking it up when it reached his elbow so that it landed in Kakashi's hands.

**03. ****Beginning**

"I'll take Hatake Kakashi," Minato announced, drawing the Hokage's and the other jounins' eyes to him.

**04. ****Bugs**

Kakashi could not help but laugh at the fairly ridiculous image of Minato-sensei trying to catch fireflies.

**05. ****Coffee**

Note to self: Do not give a five-year old coffee, no matter how tranquil he usually is.

**06. ****Dark**

His father was dead, there was no one there, but when he opened his eyes he saw Minato's concerned blue eyes.

**07. ****Despair**

"I can't finish it," Kakashi whispered, his hand aching from channeling so much chakra into Rasengan.

**08. ****Doors**

"When one door closes, another opens," said Minato philosophically to which Kakashi responded, "These are all locked, sensei."

**09. ****Drink**

"Sensei, he is _fourteen_!" Minato hissed, snatching the cup of sake before Jiraiya could give it to Kakashi.

**10. ****Duty**

"As my student, you're going to be my son's teacher."

**11. ****Earth**

Minato ran a hand through Kakashi's grey hair, fingers hovering ever so slightly over his scarred eyelid, Obito's gift slumbering just beneath it.

**12. ****End**

Running a hand through the fine grey hair, Minato knew he had to get Kakashi away from the battlefield.

**13. ****Fall**

Minato-sensei was heavy, but Kakashi refused to let him collapse, refused to listen to the increasingly labored breath and refused to look at the wailing infant in his arms.

**14. ****Fire**

"The silhouette of fire, my will," Minato struggled to breathe, "I pass on to you."

**15. ****Flexible**

"There are times when the situation requires impromptu responses," Minato stated mock-seriously to which Kakashi smiled and cut the ropes of the playground bridge holding up his sensei.

**16. ****Flying**

His first C-rank mission and Kakashi could not suppress a smile as he jumped through the trees, following Minato-sensei with remarkable ease.

**17. ****Food**

"Food for the mind," said Minato as he dropped a book in his student's lap.

**18. ****Foot**

Minato smiled to ease the reprimand as he tightly bound Kakashi's ankle.

**19. ****Grave**

"'Underneath the underneath,' you said, but," Kakashi spoke with barely controlled anger, "there is no more underneath!"

**20. ****Green**

"Who's your friend, Kakashi?" Minato asked, hiding a smile at Kakashi's suffering look and the grinning, green-clad, energetic five-year-old next to him.

**21. ****Head**

Minato smirked slightly, jiggling the bell above Kakashi's head, which was poking comically from the earth.

**22. ****Hollow**

"Don't worry, kiddo, you won't get rid of me so easily," teased Minato, ruffling Kakashi's hair.

**23. ****Honor**

Kakashi's hand burned, but he could not get rid of the feeling of accomplishment that flowed through him, knowing he helped his sensei's son complete Rasengan.

**24. ****Hope**

"If you keep on like this," said Minato, ruffling Kakashi's hair affectionately, "I'll have no choice but to appoint you Godaime."

**25. ****Light**

The white-blue light of Chidori illuminated Kakashi's face and Minato could only sigh; some lessons could only be learned the hard way.

**26. ****Lost**

"Lost on the road of life again, Kakashi?" Minato asked, eyes twinkling, as his wayward student finally walked into the Missions room.

**27. ****Metal**

Kakashi wordlessly accepted the white _tanto_ from his sensei.

**28. ****New**

Sakumo shook his head, smiling faintly in irony as he mused, "The youngest jounin instructor is teaching the youngest genin student."

**29. ****Old**

"I think you're getting old, Hokage-sama," Kakashi teased before he fund himself tossed unceremoniously out of the Hokage's office.

**30. ****Peace**

Before Rin could ask, Kakashi pushed his hitai-ite away from the Sharingan, letting Obito see their sensei being presented as Yondaime Hokage.

**31. ****Poison**

It was a mistake on Kakashi's part to charge forward, one that earned him several large cuts, his sensei landing in intensive care and Kushina-san, Jiraiya-sama and he practically moving into the hospital.

**32. ****Pretty**

"You are _not_ using my student as _bait_ for women, Ero-sensei!" Minato snapped.

**33. ****Rain**

_It should be raining, there should be a storm, there should be _something_—not sunshine and calm breezes after Minato-sensei, after he…_

**34. ****Regret**

Glancing at his coworker's genin team, Minato realized he could not ask for a better student: intelligent, obedient and willing to complete a list of D-rank missions without complaint

**35. ****Roses**

Watching his sensei scramble to find the perfect flowers for Kushina, Kakashi stated, "Sensei, you're whipped."

**36. ****Secret**

"Let me get this straight; a three-foot_ munchkin_ cut _you_—Konoha's Yellow Flash—for stealing his _mask_?" Kushina asked disbelieving.

**37. ****Snakes**

"Thank you, Orochimaru-san," Minato answered politely, keeping Kakashi firmly behind him, "but I will escort Kakashi home."

**38. ****Snow**

Minato was barely able to clap himself on the back that he had managed to involve Kakashi in a snowball fight before he was running from a very fast, very lithe seven-year old with incredible aim.

**39. ****Solid**

Minato-sensei was a heavy weight jerking him away from the Rock-nin's blade.

**40. ****Spring**

Minato watched his student hold his newest nin-dog, a puppy he'd named Pakkun.

**41. ****Stable**

"Easy, Kakashi," said Minato, quietly observing his student attempt to stabilize Rasengan.

**42. ****Strange**

Where Minato was warm, Kakashi was cool; Minato was patient to a fault while Kakashi was fairly intolerant; if Minato was the sun, then there was no doubt that Kakashi was the moon…but it was through Kakashi that Minato learned what it was like to have a son and in Minato Kakashi had a father figure to soothe his loss.

**43. ****Summer**

Minato looked at his new _five-year-old _student curiously, noting the serious, silent way he carried himself, the bright glint of curiosity in his black eyes and the baby fat still lining his face and hands.

**44. ****Taboo**

"So how was that kiss?" Minato asked straight-faced, before ducking at the shuriken Kakashi and Obito threw at him.

**45. ****Ugly**

"No girls allowed!" the doorman snapped at Kakashi to Minato's unending amusement.

**46. ****War**

Minato laughed bitterly when he saw that, even in his sleep, Kakashi never relaxed his death grip on the kunai.

**47. ****Water**

If one thing showcased the importance of teamwork, it was collaborative ninjutsu; his water and Minato-sensei's wind resulted in quite the surprising attack.

**48. ****Welcome**

"If you need anything…" Minato trailed off, but could not shake the feeling that nothing short of returning Kakashi's father to him would help him.

**49. ****Winter**

Minato jumped forward, catching a fatigued and unconscious Kakashi just before he crumpled, his small hand still clutching his father's mask.

**50. ****Wood**

A six-year-old Kakashi followed his blonde haired sensei, trusting him to lead him safely out of the forest.


	20. Prompt 40: Argue

**Author's Notes:** Yet another Kink!meme prompt (the other two are my new stories: "Incarnadine" featuring Kyuubi!Naruto/Sasuke and "Alcohol," a crack-filled look at Naruto/Ino). As such, IT HAS SEX. If you don't like to read such things, skip to the next chapter.

* * *

"Fuck, Minato, I won't break! I'm not a doll!"

"I know you aren't," Minato acquiesced, lips just tracing Kushina's jaw.

Kushina was _furious_. Her skin was flushed, her hair a darker, brutal red, her eyes green flints. A thin sheen of sweat covered her body. She did not want to _make love_ (at least not now). She wanted _sex_ (with love). But mostly sex. Hard. Fast. Brutal. The kind where she would orgasm into unconsciousness and be unable to walk or sit for a week (at least).

And. He. Was. _Teasing_. Her.

"I will kill you if you don't go faster," she threatened.

Minato grinned against her throat, suckling gently on the skin he found there. He maintained the same constant, arduous, _slow_ pace. Kushina half-groaned, half-screamed.

_Fine. If he won't, I will._

Deciding to take matter into her own hands (figuratively speaking), Kushina grabbed Minato's shoulder. Using him to stabilize herself, she pushed off him and thrusted down. Hard.

_Ohh. That felt good._

Minato's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open. Kushina, smirking, seized the moment to trace the contours of his mouth with her tongue as she repeated the movement.

_Take that_.

Before she could try it again, Minato growled against her mouth (ooh, kinky) and grabbed her roughly, shoving her against the bed (is he finally—? YES!). He took both her wrists in one of his hands, holding them above her head. Kushina was about to celebrate her victory when she caught sight of the grin on her boyfriend's (when she felt like admitting they were together) face. It looked oddly like her smile whenever she pulled one of her pranks.

He moved even _slower_. The build-up was _excruciating_.

Kushina screamed.

Minato stifled a snicker. He loved tormenting Kushina. It wasn't his fault she looked so sexy when she was angry. The reds, greens and gold of her body sharpened and Minato could barely believe this woman, this absolutely amazing woman, loved him.

But this woman also had a hell of a right hook and Minato knew she was at her breaking point. Deciding to give in now (hey, she'd owe him next time), he angled differently so he could move faster. His reward was Kushina's blatant disbelief, quickly replaced by an almost child-like glee.

Minato half-laughed, half-groaned.

Excited now, Kushina quickly matched his movements…and urged him faster. "Faster. Harder. _Please_!"

Minato shook his head, some blond spikes standing further on end. Kushina pouted, but did not fight him anymore. As they fast approached the apogee, Minato clutched her tightly to him. He preferred loving her, revering every inch of her, as she deserved. But he had to admit there was nothing wrong with a good long, hard fuck as she described them every once in a while.

Angling her mouth down to his, he kissed her deeply. Her nails dug into his back, paroxysms of pleasure rocking them both.

Kushina had been told that an orgasm was white. Plain, brilliant, blinding white. She guessed that was for the lower class. For the lucky ones (for her and _only _her), it was yellow and blue, brilliant and blinding yellow and blue.


	21. Prompt 04: Late

He felt the throw of the kunai he'd given to Kakashi. Minato blinked out of sight before the four surviving Konoha shinobi reached him, yelling, laughing, praising him. The seal made him aware of the surroundings that solidified around him and his hand closed around the neck of the Rock-nin about to attack Rin and Kakashi.

Upon not feeling a blow, Rin raised her head. "S-sensei!" she gasped. Her eyes were wide, her face tear-stained. She lay over Kakashi's unmoving form, shielding him with her body.

"Where's Obito?" Minato could not sense his last subordinate. He knew what the answer would be. His confirmation was Rin's eyes filling with tears, her head dropping as if she could not bear to look into her sensei's eyes anymore.

"Rin, help Kakashi," he ordered sharply. There would be time to think over the evens later, but they were currently under fire. He needed a kunoichi, not the frightened, grieving little girl she was. Even as he watched, Rin transformed. Her brow knitted and she carefully turned Kakashi over. She trusted her sensei to keep the others away as she concentrated chakra into a green glow around her hands. Her palms were steady, her eyes firm.

Minato smiled a little sadly. His features, however, closed off when he turned to the ninja in his hand, squirming in fear.

"You're the Yellow Flash," the man gasped. "Oh God. We-we were under orders. I didn't—we'll—I surrender. _Please_."

"I would accept your surrender, but one of my children died."

The man's eyes widened. Minato did not allow him to speak again. Turning, he opened his hands, a kunai jotting between each finger. He aimed carefully, each weapon thudding against a strategic location. He flickered out of sight. Before Rin could begin stabilizing Kakashi—his chakra system was still acclimating to the Sharingan and attempting to recover from the chakra drain—Minato had returned to her side.

"Can he be moved?" he asked quietly when she leaned back.

"Yes," she said softly.

"We'll move back to our camp." Minato carefully arranged Kakashi on his back. The boy's messy gray hair tickled his chin. "Keep close to me, Rin."

Rin nodded, biting her lower lip. Minato began to move when he heard Rin cry out for him to wait. Turning, he saw her jump to another branch and grab something orange. When she returned, she clutched Obito's goggles to her chest so tightly her knuckles turned white.

As they ran, he head Rin sniffling, trying to smother her crying. The sounds were more heartbreaking than sobs. When they reached their former camp, Minato lay Kakashi on top of the large boulder. Hating what he had to do, he stepped to Rin, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Rin," he began. "I need you to tell me what happened."

Rin's eyes shot open, tears still carving their way down her purple-striped cheeks.

"I need the report," he said as gently as he could.

Rin shuffled her feet, staring at the ground. She was silent. When Minato was about to ask her again, she began speaking. She told him of the two ninja, how she was knocked out and how Obito and Kakashi tried to save her. When she reached the rock fall, her voice broke, but she continued. She briefly described the eye transplant and how Kakashi tried to use the jutsu Minato had forbidden him to use, but it drained the little chakra Sharingan was not swallowing.

"He threw your kunai as he fell," she finished quietly. Her shoulders quivered. When Minato tightened the hold of the hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, she flinched. "I'm sorry, sensei," she said and the tears fell harder. "Shinobi aren't supposed to cry, I know. And I'm trying—"

Rin trailed off as Minato knelt in front of her. His face was serious, but there was no sign of anger at her or disappointment.

"This wasn't your fault," he guessed at her thoughts and was answered by her widening eyes. "Obito chose to save his teammates and that is not your or Kakashi's fault. Obito disagreed with Kakashi about the rules and, in this, he was right. The rules aren't always the most important thing. You're not a tool, Rin. You're human and you've lost a teammate and a friend. If you need to cry, you do so."

There was a brief pause as Rin struggled to remain in control, before she collapsed, throwing her arms around Minato's neck. "Sensei!" she sobbed. "He died, sensei, and I couldn't save him!"

Minato hugged her, knowing it was best to keep quiet and let her express her grief. Soon, she settled, small hiccups escaping her.

"In a way, Rin, you saved Obito." At her questioning look, he continued. "By giving his eye to Kakashi. A part of him is still here and it's thanks to that that Kakashi is still here. You all saved each other today."

Rin smiled tremulously. Minato ruffled her hair and she laughed, a watery, choked sound. He watched her sit at Kakashi's side, holding one of his hands in hers.

_I'm sorry I was late, Rin. I'm sorry I was late, Obito._


	22. Prompt 86: Alarm

A loud knock woke Minato. Frowning at the clock glowing 2:47 am softly into the darkness of the room, he sat up slowly at the continued, insistent knocking.

"Minato?" Kushina's voice was thick with sleep.

"Go back to sleep, Kushina." Minato struggled to find his pants. "I'll be right back." Finally finding them, he stuck his feet inside them. Almost stumbling to the door, he pulled it open enough to see who was outside.

A masked ANBU waited silently.

"Yes?" Minato frowned at the unexpected presence.

"Namikaze Minato?" The ANBU asked.

"Yes."

"Hatake Kakashi's sensei?"

Worry filtered into Minato's veins. "Yes. Did something happen to Kakashi?"

"His father, Hatake Sakumo, was found earlier tonight. Suicide. Hokage-sama requests your presence as Kakashi's teacher. I am to escort you."

When he returned to his room, he saw Kushina was awake. She held the rest of his clothes out to him. "If you need anything…" she trailed off. Minato smiled, but shook his head.

He found Kakashi in the training grounds. The Hokage had been solemn as he briefed Minato regarding Kakashi's location and state. Minato still could not shake his surprise at Kakashi's father's end. He had surmised Sakumo may have been depressed; Minato had spoken to him once following the older man's failed mission and been stunned at how much more withdrawn, tired and _old_ he appeared. But to imagine he would commit seppuku…

As Minato walked toward the clearing, not bothering to mask his chakra, the sound of shuriken striking a target reached his ears.

The boy had his back to him. Minato was sure Kakashi had already sensed his presence, but he did not acknowledge it. Even from a distance, he could see how the lines of Kakashi's hands stood out in a brilliant white, the deadly force with which Kakashi threw the weapons and the small frame trembling with exertion and barely repressed sobs.

The shinobi system performed its job well. He had observed a slow closing-off of emotion in the three years he'd had Kakashi as a student. Now…now this eight-year-old _boy_ knew how to kill in cold-blood, but had no idea how to mourn his dead father.

"Kakashi?" Minato's voice was soft, trying not to surprise him. Kakashi still jumped. His eyes were wild, hair messier than it usually was. His ever-present mask obscured half his face, but he looked oddly naked without his hitai-ite. He was still shaking. There was a brief pause before Kakashi swayed.

Minato jumped forward, catching a fatigued and unconscious Kakashi just before he crumpled, his small hand still clutching his father's mask.

Picking him up wordlessly, Minato rested him against his chest, the boy's face pressing into the bend of his teacher's neck. One arm wrapped safely around his legs to keep him from falling while the other rubbed gentle circles into his back.

Sensing the Hokage approaching him, Minato spoke without turning around. "I'll take responsibility for him."

"Are you sure?" Sarutobi looked older than ever, eyes running over the protective way Minato held Kakashi. "It'll be difficult. He will need help you may not be able to provide."

"I'm his teacher," answered Minato and the words came out sharper than he had intended. "I won't turn my back on him now."

Sarutobi nodded.

When he returned to his apartment, he found Kushina had cleaned and set out a sleeping mat next to the bed.

"I figured you'd bring him back here," she said at his questioning look. "How is he?" Her fingers trailed lightly through the grey hair. Minato began to arrange him on the mat when Kushina stopped him. "That's where you're sleeping. I'll be on the couch," she answered his unvoiced question. "He needs you nearby."

Minato squeezed her hand gratefully.

He carefully set Kakashi on the bed, tucking him in. Kakashi curled into a fetal position. His father's mask was still pressed tightly into his palm. Kushina left, dousing the lights. Minato sat on the mat, observing the child on the bed.

He was still trembling.


	23. Prompt 95: Disappear

**Author's Notes:** If I were writing this chronologically, this would be the last chapter. Luckily for you, I'm not writing chronologically. *whimpers considering the hell ordering all these one-shots will be later*

* * *

Minato followed Kushina to the Hokage monument. He didn't question her until she began to climb.

"Where are we going?" he called out.

"You'll see," she answered enigmatically. Intrigued, Minato moved after her. Once they reached the top, Kushina looked up. Minato followed her gaze.

After the past rains, the sky was clear. A dizzying array of stars was strewn against the deep indigo. A purplish-white band carved through the darkness.

"What do you think?"

Minato aimed a playful grin at Kushina. "The last time I said something about them you called it sappy and elbowed me!"

Kushina punched his shoulder, pouting adorably. She glanced upward again. "My father said that's our galaxy. " The glittering lights were reflected in her wide eyes. "A few years before he died, he took my brother and me to our roof. We saw the final seconds of an explosion so bright it was like a little sun."

Minato could distantly remember hearing of such an event. He, however, had slept through the night and heard of it the next morning.

"A supernova, right?" Minato wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "How stars die."

Kushina made a small sound of negation. Her hair whispered softly around her as she shook her head.

"Only the brightest stars supernova," she corrected him quietly. "Magnificent, huge and blinding, they have very short lives. They're _too _magnificent." She turned her face to his. "And when they die, they do so in the most violent and beautiful way. And everything that was inside them is released and used to make new stars. They die so others can live."

Her eyes darkened to deep emerald, a ring of reflected lights dancing in them.

Minato pulled the memory close to him, draping it comfortingly around him. His hands tightened slightly around the quiet infant in his hands, wide blue eyes watching him.

_Only the brightest stars supernova_, she'd said. _Only the brightest._


	24. Prompt 29: Arrival

As Kushina closed her eyes, she remembered the day she met Minato.

She clung to the back of her father's albatross summon, her knuckles white around the pristine feathers. Her short hair whispered in the wind and every single one of her muscles was so tightly clenched it hurt. The scroll her father had trusted her with burned in her pocket.

"Kushina-chan." Kushina lifted her head to see Seiryuu staring at her out of one beady eye. "There is a small group of ninja ahead."

"Konoha?" Kushina rasped hopefully. She swallowed, throat dry.

"Should be. We passed the Fire Country's borders yesterday."

Kushina straightened as much as she could. Seiryuu was slowing, her wings outstretched. Kushina knew she was not bothering to mask her chakra.

Seiryuu settled onto a sturdy branch, her talons digging into the wood. Kushina could feel the presence of others just beyond the line of trees. They were quiet. She slid from Seiryuu's back.

"Kushina-chan," Seiryuu muttered in warning.

"I'll be fine. I can do this," she boasted. Her voice was hoarse. Her weakened legs touched the wood and, hugging the tree, Kushina stole forward. However, the lack of food, water, sleep and the tense position maintained during the past three days caught up to her. Her foot slipped and she fell out of the tree.

And right on top of a boy.

"Oof!" he gasped as Kushina dropped solidly on him. His hands reflexively tightened around her to break her fall and turned her over, aiming a kunai at her neck. Kushina's kunai pressed against his side. When Kushina blinked to rid her eyes of the multi-colored spots appearing in her vision, she found brilliant blue eyes under a mop of untidy hair so yellow it rivaled the sun. The hitai-ite around his forehead bore Konoha's symbol.

His eyes widened when he saw her. "Who are you?"

Kushina was unable to answer. Seiryuu landed heavily beside him, squawking threateningly. As if called, a bear of man with wild white hair appeared, flanked by a boy and a girl. He wore a ninja vest and his hand was outstretched. Turning her head, Kushina saw the line of shuriken that had forced Seiryuu to move back.

"You're Konoha nin?" asked Kushina, looking back at the boy above her.

He nodded.

"Who are you?" The white-haired man repeated the boy's earlier question.

"I'm from the Whirlpool Country," Kushina dutifully rattled off the explanation her father had made her memorize. "We were attacked. I have a message I must deliver to the Hokage."

As she spoke, the boy pocketed the kunai and rolled off her. Seiryuu approached them, her head held protectively over Kushina's body. She glared at the Konoha nin.

"We were just heading back," said the man. "We'll escort you."

"I'm Minato," the boy introduced himself. His smile was wide. "What's your name?"

"Kushina." She watched Minato startle.

"Kushina? You're a girl?"

Her fist sank into his gut. As he groaned, she stood quickly, indignation rolling off her. However, the sudden change in position caused all the blood to rush from her head. She crumpled. Kushina heard Seiryuu call her name, but it was Minato who caught her. Under the scarlet light that streamed through the fall leaves, his yellow hair darkened, but his eyes retained that intense blue color.


	25. Prompt 57: Fever

Seals. Seals. Seals, seals, seals, sealssealsseals…

Minato's mind was lost on seals. After so many months, he still hadn't produced the right one. It'd do him no good if he arrived in the blink of an eye if he was drained of chakra by the time he entered the battle. But the seals were off. _Something_ was affecting them, something he couldn't put his finger on. All of the seals were…_wrong_.

The first he formed were too weak. Some didn't move him at all. The others transported him a few feet or halfway, but never close to the seal. The second group proved too strong. He always overshot the target. Once he landed several kilometers away. That one had swallowed his chakra almost entirely. He spent long hours lying immobile on the swaying grass of Myobokuzan, unable to contact Jiraiya-sensei or any of the toads. He could barely move.

Night fell. He knew Jiraiya would not worry yet. He had been keeping odd hours and there was still some time to go before Jiraiya-sensei sought him out. It was bitterly cold so high on the mountain. Aching, Minato curled into a fetal position. He forced himself to remain calm and thus remain conscious. A light drizzle fell, a thin mist rising from the ground. Drops of water collected on his skin. Minato cursed his decision to wear only pants to train. He pawed absently at his chest, but only encountered the leather cord of Kushina's necklace. He would give his life for a shirt.

He chuckled. If Kushina knew what he was thinking she'd probably start chanting victoriously that she always knew he was a prissy boy.

The stars were bright.

Everything was cold.

Minato couldn't feel his body anymore.

Survival training kicked in and Minato struggled to raise his arms. He needed warmth, needed some manner of friction. His limbs responded sluggishly. By trying to move, he became very aware of a dull pain behind his eyes. His ears rang. His eyes were getting harder to keep open. He was freezing and sweating simultaneously.

_That's odd_, he mused dazedly. Something else that caught his attention was that he had stopped shivering. The cold, however, remained. Odd.

Even odder was Kushina's presence.

"You're not supposed to be here," he said to the redhead. She shrugged, rolling her eyes. She sat beside him, head cocked neatly to the side.

He was found by a small toad, which promptly hopped away. A short while later, Jiraiya appeared, flanked by two toads. Minato tried to smile, but he had some difficulty. Every muscle hurt.

"Oh, you idiot." Jiraiya dropped beside him, one hand pushing wet bangs away from his student's face. "You stupid, stupid brat."

Minato frowned. There was something different about Jiraiya's tone as he insulted him. The usual unconcern had been replaced by something Minato could not identify.

Kushina seemed to notice something was wrong because she remained silent. Minato made a funny face at her; a quiet Kushina was worrisome. She stuck her tongue out at him. Minato laughed, but his laughter quickly choked, transmuting into violent coughs.

Jiraiya picked him up, slinging him over his back. Minato groaned, his body protesting the sudden movement.

"Ngh." His throat burned. He extended a hand to Kushina. To his surprise, she took it. Her fingers were cool around his. Jiraiya shot him a worried look and began walking. Kushina followed, continuing to make faces at Minato.

The yellow-haired teenager was surprised to find himself back at their camp. "When did we—?"

Jiraiya set him down on his sleeping mat. Some other toads fluttered around him. Kushina dropped to her knees beside him.

"You're not supposed to be here," he repeated. Kushina shrugged one shoulder.

Words filtered through the hazy fog that had enveloped him. Fever. Sick. Delirium. He locked on Jiraiya's voice and turned dazed eyes to the older man.

"…and if you dare train yourself into illness again, I'll master your new jutsu for you and kill you fifty times before you can blink. You hear me, brat?"

Minato chuckled. "So hostile, sensei."

A thick liquid was forced down his throat. Minato gagged. However, the pressure of the cup wasn't removed until he swallowed. Sleep tugged at his eyelids.

"Sensei," he moaned. "Kushina!"

"Kushina isn't here," Jiraiya said gently.

Minato shook his head. "She's right there." He gestured to Kushina and blinked. She had disappeared. Nevertheless, the cool feel of her hand around his fingers lingered.

Before he could further debate her sudden departure, he was dreaming and Kushina was there and a seal was burned into her skin and the seal resonated perfectly with his chakra.


	26. Prompt 58: Summer

**Author's Notes:** Beta'd by Dark Hope Assassin whom I love very, very, very, very...*three hours later*...very, very, very much.

* * *

A series of warnings rang in Minato´s ear as he trudged up the stairs to the Hokage's observatory.

"Kid, you're nuts," Jiraiya had declared.

"And here I hoped Jiraiya's influence would end with you." Tsunade had shaken her head sadly.

Kushina…Kushina had not said anything actually. She had simply fallen from her chair in the throes of hysterical laughter. She had not even kissed him goodbye, so focused she was on trying to breathe.

Minato huffed. So what if he was a newly instated jounin? And a seventeen-year-old brat, a voice that sounded oddly like Jiraiya's reminded him. Minato froze at the voice and turned to the wall to dash his forehead against it. He really was spending too much time in Jiraiya's company if his voice was following him everywhere now. When he looked up, he found one chuunin staring at him in fear. Minato grinned widely and brushed past him.

He could handle the responsibility of a genin team. Hell, those kids would love him! All of the Academy students would want to be his subordinates! But he'd only pick three and those three would be his legacy, becoming renowned throughout the continent for their strength of moral character, sharp intelligence and a pack of A-rank and higher jutsu that would propel them to Kage level.

All right, so maybe his expectations were a little…unrealistic. But he was certain his kids would be brilliant. They'd get it from him, of course.

Again he had to smack his head. Kushina's incredible over-confidence was getting to him.

He slipped through the door at the top of the stairs, quietly shutting it behind him. Some of the jounin assembled turned to look at him. Of those, several did a double-take.

"Aren't you Jiraiya-sama's student?" Sawa, the jounin closest to him, asked.

"Yes." Minato beamed. As insane as Jiraiya was, he was proud to be the older man's apprentice.

"How old are you?"

Minato had a witty retort on the tip of his tongue, but Sarutobi cleared his throat.

"Now that we're all here," the Hokage said, "let's begin."

The crystal orb before him projected an image onto its surface. A classroom solidified, several students milling around. They all looked younger than usual. Minato quickly counted them.

"We've had to drop the graduation age due to the war," explained Sarutobi.

The image slowly scrolled around the room, before focusing on a child a head smaller than all the others in the room.

"This year's number one rookie. Hatake Kakashi."

"The White Fang's son?" A man near the front of the group spoke up.

The Hokage nodded.

"How old is he?"A woman Minato did not know was frowning in question.

"Five."

"That's too young, Hokage-sama!" Sawa exclaimed. There were murmurs of agreement.

Minato was silent.

"Nevertheless," Sarutobi laced his fingers together, "he's the best of the class."

"I'll take him," Minato declared suddenly, drawing every eye in the room to him.

"Him alone?" Sarutobi fixed his calm gaze on him. Minato nodded.

"There are an odd number of students. If I take him, the rest can be grouped in the typical three-man teams."

At his words, some of the jounin present turned back to the orb. A couple moved their lips as they counted.

Sarutobi smiled. "You are right. Fine, you will be Hatake Kakashi's sensei. Now, moving on. Team One is composed of…"

The Hokage's words faded to white noise. So he wouldn't have a team. He would have one boy.

As the class was called to order and the students were sorted into teams, Minato observed the way Kakashi kept to himself and the look of stunned doubt on his face as he wasn't named for a team. As the teacher dismissed the class for lunch, the jounin streamed out of the room. Minato lingered. The child pictured in the orb hadn't stood from his desk.

"Do you feel you have something to prove, Minato?" Sarutobi's voice was not challenging, merely curious.

"No," answered Minato after a pause. "But we both certainly can."

He walked quickly to the Academy and managed to beat the other jounin there. He walked through the hall calmly and slid open the classroom's door. The teacher and students turned to look at him. Some of the children shifted expectantly in their seats.

"Hatake Kakashi?"

Kakashi's body snapped to attention.

Minato continued in a voice that carried easily. "Come with me."

Turning away from the door, he didn't bother to verify if Kakashi was following. Before long, he discerned the sound of near-silent steps behind him. He led the child outside and to the rooftop Jiraiya had taken him to when he and Ume and Masashi were assigned to the white-haired man's team. Once there, he leaned casually against the rail, gesturing for Kakashi to sit.

Minato looked at his new five-year-old student curiously, noting the serious, silent way he carried himself, the bright glint of curiosity in his black eyes and the baby fat still lining his face and hands. Like his father, the bottom half of his face was obscured by a mask.

For a moment, he debated doing to Kakashi everything he'd endured at Jiraiya's hands, but he didn't feel like torturing his new student. "I assume you have several questions."

Kakashi's glance fell to the floor, before looking the blond man in front of him. "Why don't I have a team?"

There was a different question hidden in his tone.

"There were an odd number of students," Minato answered honestly. "One was going to be singled out or there would be a team with four students. I decided to take you on alone. Which is both good and bad."

Kakashi's brow knitted in thought.

Minato continued, "You'll have personalized attention so you´ll see marked improvement quickly. Unfortunately, tasks that are usually divided amongst a team will depend on you alone. It will be difficult. We are at war so we may be assigned missions of higher ranks. I will treat you as I would any ninja, which means you need to understand that your actions have consequences. Do you feel up to it?"

The child paused for a moment. He squared his tiny shoulders. "Yes."

The man smiled. "Then Kakashi, my name is Namikaze Minato and I'll be your jounin instructor…if you pass a final test."

oOo

As he did not have a genin team, Minato figured the bell test would only prove a way for him to measure Kakashi's one-on-one fighting ability. Instead, he designed a different test.

"There is a kunai identical to this one in the Hokage's office." Minato held up one of his specially designed kunai. "Your test consists of sneaking into the Hokage Tower and retrieving it. This is an infiltration mission so it is of the utmost importance that you are not seen. Every shinobi in that Tower is an enemy. Short of destroying the Tower or attacking the shinobi, you can do anything you can think of to find it. Any questions?"

"How long do I have?" Kakashi's posture was straight, feet well-placed for excellent balance. Sakumo must have trained him since he could walk. Minato entertained himself with the thought of Kakashi teething on a shuriken.

"Until noon." Minato twirled the kunai. "If you fail to get the kunai or you are seen, I'll tie you to one of the posts behind me and force you to watch as I eat my lunch in front of you."

At the mention of food, Kakashi's stomach growled. Two small hands immediately clamped over it.

Minato chuckled to himself. "Now, time's wasting. Ready? …Start!"

Kakashi immediately took off in the direction of the Hokage Tower. Minato plopped down ungracefully on the ground, drawing a book out of his bag. The timer was already running. Hokage-sama already knew about the test and had promised to walk in and out of his office during periodic intervals. There would also be a few seconds between guard changes that a careful observation would reveal. Kakashi would succeed or fail and he had little to worry about. Throwing the book over his face, he settled down for a nap.

About an hour before the timer rang, Minato awoke upon hearing the crunch of the underbrush. Standing quickly, book flashing out of view, he saw Kakashi troop out of the trees. His little body quivered in annoyance. In his hand, he held Minato's kunai. Minato was surprised to hear the plants continue to rustle behind Kakashi. To his surprise, a second tiny body dove out of the greenery, dressed, funnily enough, completely in green.

"Who's your friend, Kakashi?" Minato asked, hiding a smile at Kakashi's suffering look and the grinning, green-clad, energetic five-year-old next to him.

"Maito Gai!" the boy enthused. His smile would have been blinding if he wasn't missing his front teeth. "I was helping my New Best Friend!" He pronounced the last three words like an official title.

"Really?"

Kakashi sighed at his teacher's questioning look. "He helped me stage a distraction to sneak into the office."

"I kicked an ANBU!" Gai crowed proudly. Minato choked.

"Well, it seems you pass." The corners of Minato's lips twitched. A bubble of laughter threatened to overcome him.

"—and I outran him to set off an explosive tag my New Best—pass what?"Gai's short hair, cut into a bowl shape around his head, whipped back and forth as its owner turned from Kakashi to Minato.

"Kakashi's genin exam," explained Minato. "Since he retrieved the kunai, he passed the test and is now my subordinate and can perform shinobi missions."

"WHAT?!" Gai exploded. "YOU'RE A _GENIN_?!"

In answer, Kakashi pointed to his forehead protector.

Gai's eyes widened comically. His hands spasmed open and shut as he gaped.

"YOU!" he cried out forcefully. Minato and Kakashi blinked at the pudgy finger aimed directly between Kakashi's eyes. Minato was going to lose control of his laughter any moment now. The masked child went cross-eyed trying to keep the accusing finger in view. "You are _not _my New Best Friend! You are now my _Eternal Rival_!"

Kakashi blinked again. Minato had to duck behind a tree.

Gai was still yelling. "YOU MAY HAVE BEAT ME TODAY, RIVAL, BUT I WILL BE A GENIN TOO! IF NOT I'LL—I'LL—um—I'LL RUN 100 LAPS AROUND THE ACADEMY!"

Kakashi stared. Minato was turning blue.

Without further ado, Gai posed heroically—looking oddly constipated—and ran off with a yell of, "Just wait, my Eternal Rival!"

Minato had to duck behind a tree again.

Forcing himself to inhale, he finally managed to swallow his laughter. His chest and stomach burned from the effort.

"Tomorrow. 8 am. Here. First training session." Minato couldn't speak full sentences. Kakashi eyed him strangely, but nodded and walked away.

Minato walked back to his apartment, looking forward to the privacy of his home. As he reached for the doorknob, the door slammed open and Kushina was standing in front of him, holding a towel like an enemy.

"How is it that you have _green_ towels and no orange ones?" She held the slightly ragged article with her fingertips as if it had insulted her. "I don't even _know_ you anymore. You are no longer my best friend!"

If he didn't breathe in the next minute, Minato was going to _die_.


	27. Prompt 19: Winter

Minato grinned. Like an overgrown five-year-old, he bounded over to Kakashi's sleeping form. Learning from experience, he roused him gently. A startled Kakashi tended to attack first, ask questions never.

The boy's dark eyes blinked sleepily at his teacher.

"Wake up, Kakashi. Time to train."

As the child dressed, Minato rubbed his hands together. They had been assigned a reconnaissance mission near Lightning Country. They were far enough north for him to play with, er, expose Kakashi to a different situation. One that was white, fluffy and cold.

"Snow," he said cheerfully as Kakashi stared at the unfamiliar surroundings. "I don't think you've seen it before, have you?"

The child shook his head mutely.

"We're going to train here for a while before returning to Konoha. A good shinobi should be able to survive in any sort of climate and turn anything around them into a weapon."

Minato paused, observing Kakashi solemnly. The child straightened, eyes narrowing in preparation. It wasn't enough.

The yellow-haired man grinned. He almost lost it when he saw Kakashi blink, face lax with shock as the snowball Minato had prepared dripped down his chest.

"Wha—?" Kakashi barely managed to duck. A second snowball hit his shoulder instead of his chest. Then he was running as Minato used chakra to speed his movements in forming and throwing more white projectiles.

Kakashi ducked behind a rock covered with snow and tried to catch his breath. If sensei was going to attack him, he would not run.

Just as Minato was about to jump over the flat rock, a snowball flew forward to greet him. He was barely able to clap himself on the back that he had managed to involve Kakashi in a snowball fight before he was running from a very fast, very lithe seven-year-old with incredible aim.

In fact, his aim was good enough that Minato didn't have a chance to form more makeshift weapons.

Taking a shuriken from his holster, he marked it with his seal. He threw it behind him and flickered out of the way before another snowball made contact with him.

Unfortunately for Minato's dignity, he did not see where he threw the shuriken. He flashed onto a patch of black ice. His feet immediately flew out from under him. His fall jarred him, the cold biting through the seat of his pants.

Item number 236 on the list of things Kushina was never to learn about: fast velocity and ice don't mix.

"Sensei!" He heard the patter of small feet running up to him and saw Kakashi's black eyes staring down at him. "Are you all right?"

With a bruised ego, Minato nodded.

Kakashi smiled. "Okay." Before Minato could react, the boy stuffed a snowball down his teacher's shirt.


	28. Prompt 02: Back Alley

"Kakashi!"

It was a bone-deep relief that flooded through him when he finally found Kakashi.

The information was labeled top-secret, which meant little to an apprentice of Jiraiya. More and more people were going missing. ANBU, jounin, chunnin, genin, even Academy students and civilians. Rumors were beginning to circulate. When Kakashi failed to show for their daily training session—even Obito was more worried than ecstatic that he had arrived earlier than Kakashi—Minato quickly led Obito and Rin home and set off to find Kakashi.

The child in question (well, not much of a child anymore, Minato reminded himself) looked up, as did the man with him.

"Where were you, Kakashi?" After so many years together, Kakashi correctly interpreted his teacher's look and went to stand beside him. Turning to Jiraiya's old teammate, Minato bowed slightly. "I hope he wasn't bothering you, Orochimaru-san."

"Not at all." Orochimaru smiled. His golden eyes glimmered faintly. "You have quite a brilliant student, Minato-kun. You must be very proud."

Minato returned the smile, but it was forced. The small hairs on his arms and the back of his neck were standing on end. "He still has much to learn, but I have little doubt he will become a fine shinobi."

"I was just leading Kakashi to his apartment," Orochimaru continued. "A bright young boy like that shouldn't be wandering alone in such secluded areas. Especially not now."

"Thank you, Orochimaru-san," Minato answered politely, keeping Kakashi firmly behind him. "But I will escort Kakashi home. He is my responsibility, after all."

Orochimaru nodded. Minato was leading Kakashi away when the man spoke. "Minato-kun? Could we meet at some point? I have some questions concerning Hiraishin after that last mission together."

"Of course," Minato called over his shoulder. He kept one hand on Kakashi's back. "Another time perhaps."

As they walked, Minato and Kakashi were silent. As his apartment building came into view, Kakashi paused.

"Sensei…" he faltered. His memories were hazy.

"Why weren't you at training today?"

"I…don't know."

Minato kneeled in front of Kakashi. He took the boy's chin in his hand, observing his face carefully. It was faint, but he could sense the residue of a jutsu lingering over Kakashi.

"You are to go nowhere unless it is with me or with one of your teammates," Minato ordered softly. "You will keep to crowded areas. No more wandering through solitary alleys. Understand?"

Kakashi nodded.

After he left the boy at the door of his apartment—and set some traps around the area—he headed to the Hokage Tower. Jiraiya refused to hear anything negative about Orochimaru. The Hokage, at least, could question Orochimaru as to the state in which he found Kakashi and why the man was wandering such distant areas to begin with.


	29. Prompt 91: Hospital

It was a mistake. A simple enough mistake. Just a miscalculation.

Unfortunately, their line of work did not allow for mistakes.

There was the rumble as if of thunder tearing the earth asunder. There was a ragged scream of warning. There was a sudden burning pain. There was his blood bubbling upward from the cuts on his body and there was the blood streaming from the long gashes on the body protecting his and then there was nothing anymore.

oOo

There was something about poison something about poisoned weapons and he was lucky because very little managed to enter his body but not his sensei poor man did you see him when he came in gray and barely breathing you shouldn't be talking about a patient's condition so freely oh this poor dear is unconscious he can't hear can you imagine losing your father and losing your sensei right after but they were wrong and he _could_ hear and he whimpered because he couldn't talk and couldn't yell at them to shut up that he broke the rules he knew and his sensei was hurt and everything was so heavy and shh little one let's go back to sleep and there was a cool liquid seeping down his throat and the heaviness was profound and he wasn't awake anymore.

oOo

Hands fluttered over him. They seemed unsure about what to do and alternated between straightening the sheet over him and absently touching his legs. They tickled. He started.

The hands froze and withdrew. They were replaced by a voice he didn't want to hear.

"Kakashi?" It was a woman's voice and he had no problem picturing her bright red hair behind his closed eyelids. "Kakashi, are you awake?"

He wasn't a coward. He was many things, but a coward wasn't one of them. However, he kept his eyes shut, preferring the darkness he knew to the reality he didn't.

oOo

When he opened his eyes, he was alone. His mask still covered his face. It was night and, from the purple-indigo, it was either ridiculously late or obscenely early. Clouds covered a sliver of moon and few stars braved the village's lights.

A small, callused hand felt the tight press of the bandages around his chest. Finding the edge, he began to pull them away from him. He had to sit up to unwind them from his back. His head spun at the change in position. A deep breath grounded him.

The bandages lay discarded beside him.

Three jagged cuts marred his side. The first arced from his hip to just above his navel. The second was a little smaller, a line just off-center that extended from the bottom of his breastbone to his bellybutton. The third carved through the other two, from his hip to the opposite shoulder, dividing his body into uneven diagonal halves.

All three were pink and still healing. When he moved, the skin pulled uncomfortably. He touched his fingers to the longest cut. His hands were shaking. Poison, he remembered.

Sensei, though… Sensei had been hurt too.

Shoving the sheet off himself, Kakashi tried to stand. His legs trembled under him and he collapsed.

He was found by a medic some time later, dragging himself on the floor. One of his cuts had opened, the blood lubricating his way.

It took three medics to put him back into his bed. He'd kicked a fourth medic and the man had crumpled. He continued fighting as the sedative he was given began to take hold.

As he finally gave in, a name bubbled to his lips. "Minato-sen-sei…"

oOo

The second time he awoke, Jiraiya-sama was in the room.

"Ji-Jiraiya-sama." In the presence of his sensei's sensei, and one of the Legendary Sannin, Kakashi tried to sit up. The new bandages, stiffer and tighter around his chest, impeded the movement.

"Take it easy, kid." Jiraiya's voice was gruff. "You already opened your wounds once. Your sensei won't appreciate it if you kill yourself after he saved you."

"Where's sensei?"Kakashi lay down and the sudden flare of pain receded to a dull twinge.

"He's in the intensive care unit."

Eyes wide, the boy asked hollowly, "How is he?"

"He'll be just fine,"Jiraiya responded sharply. "Just you wait. He'll be back to training you into unconsciousness very soon."

"But…how _is_ he?"

Jiraiya turned away.

"Jiraiya-sama, please tell—"

"He hasn't woken up yet."

oOo

An argument kept him from sleeping.

"I can't belive you told him about Minato!" That was a woman's voice. Tsunade-sama's, if he remembered correctly.

"He has a right to know." From his tone, it wasn't hard to picture Jiraiya crossing his arms like an obstinate child.

"Yes. When he is stronger. How do you think learning about Minato's state will affect him? His recovery?" Tsunade's voice dropped and Kakashi couldn't hear what she said next.

"Minato will wake up." Jiraiya's voice was laced with anger like poison. "He _will_."

Again, an unintelligible murmur from Tsunade.

"You can save him, Tsunade. You can save anyone." Jiraiya's brimmed with confidence. His next question ruined the effect. "Can't you?"

Tsunade didn't say anything.

oOo

Kakashi learned that Tsuande was the medic in charge of his and Minato-sensei's case. She would stride into his room like a monarch through her palace twice a day. She would quicky check his vital signs before focusing on his wounds.

By then, the wounds were just pink marks marring his skin.

"These healed nicely,"she said as she helped him roll down his shirt. "The scars will be very faint and may fade away entirely. You were lucky the cuts were so shallow. We'll keep your for a couple more days for observation and then you can go home."

"What about sensei?"

Tsunade's hand paused on his chart, her hand tightening around the pen.

"Minato will need to stay here a little longer," she said cheerfully. Kakashi would have believed her if he hadn't seen her knuckles turn white. "But he'll be out soon enough."

"I want to see him," Kakashi declared.

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm sorry, but Minato needs rest."

"I won't bother him. I just want to see him."

"I'm sure you won't, but the answer remains no."

"I want to se him."

"No."

"I WANT TO SEE HIM!"

Kakashi very rarely acted up. He could not remember when he had ever thrown a fit. He had never been a querulous child. But he would be allowed to see Minato-sensei, he had to.

Tsunade didn't even blink. "No."

Kakashi stared at her for a long moment.

"I'm going to see Minato-sensei!" He grabbed the empty vase on his bedside table and smashed it on the floor. His chest heaved, heart tight.

Eyes narrowing, Tsunade stared down at him. "No. Especially not with this behavior." She turned on her heel and walked out, ignoring the screaming boy left in the room.

Left alone. Again.

oOo

He made a mistake. He charged forward when sensei told him to fall back. Whirling bades cut through the air so fast he could barely see them. So fast he had no chance to move aside. He was in the way.

And then he wasn't anymore.

oOo

When the door opened a few hours later, Kakashi sat in the middle of a warzone.

Everything even remotely breakable had been shattered against the floor and walls. The bed was upended, its stuffing bleeding out of it. The curtains lay in jagged pieces and the window's glass twinkled ominously on the floor.

Kakashi sat hunched over his knees, the bedsheets covering him. As whoever it was stopped in front of him, he didn't bother to unearth his head.

The sheet was unceremoniously tugged off him.

"Come on, kid." Jiraiya nudged the child with a sandaled foot. "If you want to see Minato, you better hurry."

Mute, Kakashi followed after Jiraiya dutifully. The man led him down the halls and into a different wing of the hospital. Kakashi avoided looking at anyone, keeping his gaze firmly trained on the white floor and the white walls.

"In here." Jiraiya pointed to a plain white door and slid it open. Kakashi slowly walked inside.

Minato-sensei lay on the only bed, a clear oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. His chest rose and fell rhythmically. He was pale, the bright yellow of his hair making him look even paler in comparison. Kushina lay beside him, curled around him as best as possible. Her impossibly long red hair fell off the edge of the bed, the longest strands almost brushing the floor. Her hand was wrapped around one of Minato's. Unlike him, she was awake.

Her eyes rose to meet the intruders. Upon seeing them, she lifted her head.

"Kakashi?" she asked softly.

"He wanted to see Minato," Jiraiya explained. "Tsunade wouldn't let him."

Kushina cracked a smile. "Tsunade will stand no one to interrupt her patient's rest, will she?"

"Terrifying woman," Jiraiya muttered as he sank into the only chair in the room. Slung around its back was Jiraiya's vest. In fact, the room looked a lot more lived-in than other hospital rooms. Random articles of food and clothing were gathering in the corners and there was a worn quilt resting over Kushina.

"It's okay, Kakashi. You can come closer,"she said.

The child was frozen by the door, expecting the man on the bed to jump up at any moment. Kushina's words triggered a reflexive movement of his feet. He paused next to her.

On closer inspection, Kakashi saw that dark bugs hung under her eyes and she looked very pale. Her hair was dull and unkempt. Her smile had a brittle quality.

"What's wrong with him?" Kakashi's voice was small. He barely recognized it as his own.

"The poison was fast-acting," Kushina answered softly. "Tsunade extracted it, but it managed to do a lot of damage. Tsunade told us he should wake up soon. We're lucky to have her; she finally managed to stabilize him three days ago when other medics gave him up for lost."

Kakashi tried to ignore how the implications of her words made him feel. "How long have we been sleeping?"

"You, three days," Jiraiya clarified. "Minato, five."

Minato-sensei's hand was near Kakashi. Hesitating, he touched a finger to the back of the sleeping man's hand. It was warm and Kakashi waited for Minato-sensei to take his hand, a weapon flashing into it to show him a new technique. Minato-sensei continued to sleep, his breath fogging the mask, his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm.

oOo

Kakashi moved into Minato-sensei's room. Jiraiya had commandeered a futon and smuggled it into the room. Tsunade had been the first to complain, but Kushina had blackmailed her. The renowned medic quickly gave in, though not without vicious glares, muttered curses and property damage.

The boy quickly adjusted to the schedule Jiraiya and Kushina had adopted.

Kushina bullied a local restaurant that didn't deliver into delivering breakfast daily. She would pay the bemused delivery boy through the window as he barely clung to the branches of the tree next to the room. Lunch and dinner were similar occurrences. Kushina was of the opinion that hospital food made one sicker.

She and Jiraiya would talk loudly and cheerfully, including the unconscious Minato in their conversation. After Kakashi joined them, they would entertain him with stories about Minato-sensei's childhood, including the time he dyed Jiraiya's hair bright orange after Jiraiya spent all of his apprentice's money on sake.

"So then," Kushina spluttered with laughter, "over the crest comes the great Toad Sage with hair so orange it put fire to shame. And he comes up to me and starts yelling at me that I had gone too far with my pranks and no woman took him seriously and how was he going to _live_…"

"I never said that!" Jiraiya ejaculated forcefully.

"Shut up, Ero-sensei. Anyway, I'm screaming with laughter on the floor because he looked so amazingly stupid and trying to tell him that if I had dyed his hair, he'd know since I would have written my name on it in different colors. And Minato's off to the side, trying to look innocent, but you could tell he knew something he wasn't letting on…"

Things would continue like that until Tsunade slammed open the door to bellow at them to shut up, that this was a hospital, dammit, and they needed to be considerate. Kushina would scream back that Tsunade was one to talk, as she was the first to start yelling.

Kakashi would stare at the scene while Jiraiya massaged his temples. Jiraiya would eventually pull Tsunade away, though not before Tsunade threw a shoe at Kushina, leaving a lovely crater on the wall where the younger woman's head used to be. Kushina would yell something about Tsunade hiding behind Jiraiya's pillar of hair, earning her Tsunade's second shoe—this time chakra-enhanced and aiming to kill—flying through the wall after Kushina barely managed to duck and splintering the tree outside.

By the time night came along, everyone was equally exhausted and relieved. Jiraiya would seize his chair, the back of which he'd restructured so that it would lean back and allow him to rest more comfortably. Kakashi's bed had been installed next to Minato-sensei's bed and close to the door. He would collapse in it, pulling the thinnest sheet over himself. Kushina would curl into a small corner next to Minato-sensei, the quilt covering them after Kakashi had refused to take it from her.

They rarely slept. Jiraiya's snores were painfully missing. Kakashi would toss and turn most of the night thanks to the nightmares that haunted him that he was unable to remember upon waking. Kushina would hold Minato-sensei's hand and whisper so softly to him that Kakashi, lying next to the bed, couldn't understand her words.

All three waited expectantly for a voice they could not hear.

oOo

It had been a week since the battle.

Tsunade screamed at Jiraiya for sneaking into the women's recovery ward. From her position on the bed, Kushina snickered. Kakashi, used to it by then, polished his weapons, returned to him after Jiraiya interceded on his behalf.

"Honestly, sensei, those women can't defend themselves," quipped Minato-sensei.

"That's the point, brat," Jiraiya answered unthinkingly and flinched at Tsunade's bull-like roar of rage.

There was a pregnant pause.

Four heads swiveled simultaneously to the man on the bed.

Minato-sensei smiled faintly and waved. His hands shook. "Hi."

"You stupid idiot!" Kushina shrieked, smacking his head. Minato winced, but his smile widened.

"I love you too." He chuckled. His smile turned down. "Are you crying?"

Kushina reeled back, hands wiping her eyes. "I-I'm not. I've, uh, got something in my eye."

Minato-sensei's smile turned soft.

"Okay, you two, break it up." Tsunade shoved Kushina aside unceremoniously. The younger woman, not expecting it, crashed to the floor beside Kakashi, her head barely missing a pile of shiny shuriken. "I've got a patient to check. You three, out!"

Kushina reeled up, massaging her shoulder and trying to kill Tsunade with her glare.

"Wait." Minato grabbed Tsunade's arm. "Kakashi. How is he?"

"I'm here, sensei." Kakashi forced himself to stand. He swallowed the ball of emotion tightening his throat.

The relief that spread over Minato-sensei's face was palpable. Kakashi felt like scum.

"Out!"

Jiraiya, Kushina and Kakashi were herded out the door, Tsunade slamming it behind them. Kushina ran down the list of expletives she knew, a monologue that took roughly five minutes. The amazing part was that she never repeated herself once.

"That's not language fit for a lady." Jiraiya wagged his finger. His voice was a little shaky.

Kushina's glare was so strong Kakashi took a step back and Jiraiya jumped to the other side of the hall.

A short time later, Tsunade opened the door. She called over her shoulder, "You're paying for all the damages your visitors have caused."

Kushina dashed by her side so fast Tsunade almost fell. Muttering something about ungrateful kunoichi, Tsunade dusted herself off to have Jiraiya practically jump her.

He grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Thank you, Tsunade."

She smiled.

Kakashi hesitated by the door, feeling like an outsider. He had never felt so small in comparison. And he couldn't shake the dark feeling that it was his fault that Minato-sensei had gotten hurt. If he'd only followed the rules…

"Kakashi!" The boy jumped slightly at Minato-sensei's voice. Looking around the doorway, he saw Minato-sensei sitting up against the pillows. He was sagging against them bonelessly and his hands still trembled, but his eyes were alert. He motioned for Kakashi to come closer.

Kushina briefly squeezed Minato's hand and softly patted Kakashi's shoulder as she passed by him. She slid the door shut behind her with a crisp _snap_.

The silence screamed at him.

Kakashi _wanted_ Minato-sensei to scream at him. He _wanted _his teacher to tell him he was wrong. He wanted Minato-sensei to punish him in some way, for what he did to him and for what he indirectly did to Kushina and Jiraiya and even Tsunade. He wanted the man looking at him to do _anything_ except aim that happy and relieved smile at him.

As Kakashi kept his gaze firmly on his toes, Minato frowned. "Kakashi? What's wrong?"

His voice was _too_ caring. Again, that desire to act like a petulant child seized him. But he wouldn't disrespect his sensei by acting out.

"I'm sorry, sensei," he said softly. He continued staring at the floor. "You told me to ignore the target, but I just wanted to complete the mission. I got us hurt and jeopardized the mission. I'm sorry."

"Kakashi, come here."

Focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, Kakashi finally reached the bed. His head was still bowed. In apology? Shame? Fear? He felt Minato-sensei's hand on his hair, its warm weight comforting. Surprised, he looked up.

Minato-sensei was still pale and he looked tired. His eyes, however, were as warm as his hand.

"I think this past week has punished you enough." Ruffling Kakashi's hair, he teased, "Don't worry, kiddo. You won't get rid of me so easily."


	30. Prompt 76: Baby

**Author's Notes:** Last 1 sentence challenge. Same rules apply.

* * *

**01. ****Motion**

Minato and Kushina shared a smile as Jiraiya's face relaxed in wonder, one of his hands feeling Naruto kick.

**02. ****Cool**

The baby in his hands was warm, almost literally a little bundle of sunlight, compared to him, losing warmth, losing sense, losing sight.

**03. ****Young**

In many ways, he and Kushina weren't meant to be parents yet: Hokage duties swallowing Minato's time, Kushina's intolerance for anything under three feet tall, their lack of proper parental figures (Jiraiya and Tsunade _definitely_ didn't count) and neither knowing exactly where their relationship stood...but since when did anything in their life make sense?

**04. ****Last**

Naruto's cheek was silken under his touch, faint outlines of whiskers darkening.

**05. ****Wrong**

"I am pregnant, not invalid!" Kushina exploded.

**06. ****Gentle**

"If someone touches my stomach one more time, I'm going to stab something."

**07. ****One**

In Minato's honest opinion, Kushina was enjoying her pregnancy too much if her over-waddling everywhere was to be taken into account.

**08. ****Thousand**

There were many reasons as to why he sealed Kyuubi no Youko inside his newborn son, but one underlay them all: his hope that his son would use the demon to repay the bastard who did this to them.

**09. ****King**

Sometimes, the king needed to endanger himself to save his subjects, but Minato only wished he did not have to check his most precious piece in order to save the pawns.

**10. ****Learn**

"I don't know if I'd be a good father," Minato confessed to the child nestled inside his mother, "but I promise I will protect you."

**11. ****Blur**

Minato fingered the little wooden kunai, already imagining a young yellow (or red if Kushina had anything to say about it) flash.

**12. ****Wait**

"I'll never have a kid," Minato declared to which Jiraiya-sensei only smirked.

**13. ****Change**

"First thing I'm teaching my son: how to dye Jiraiya-sensei's hair orange."

**14. ****Command**

"That kid's going to be my subordinate," Kakashi announced.

**15. ****Hold**

He had dreamed so long of finally holding his child in his arms and he couldn't help the soft smile as his son yawned, curling into his father's warmth.

**16. ****Need**

There were nights Minato was haunted by nightmares, nights when he awoke gasping and sweating and clinging to his lover, his head resting on the rounded skin of her stomach, bating his breath until the baby kicked or turned or gave any sign he was safe.

**17. ****Vision**

A yellow-haired child ran ahead, chasing a butterfly that fluttered just out of his reach.

**18. ****Attention**

"Are we really going to have to wake up every two hours to feed Naruto?" Minato complained, which earned him a death glare from Kushina and a snarled, "_We_?"

**19. ****Soul**

Kushina was almost delirious, but Minato had never seen her eyes clearer than when she grabbed him by his robe and ordered, "You will make sure our son lives and tell him…tell him I regret nothing."

**20. ****Picture**

The image changed every time he considered it: one second his son had his bright yellow hair; the next his mother's red crowned his head.

**21. ****Fool**

"Our family's going to be royally fucked up."

**22. ****Mad**

"He is going to hate you and love me since _I'm_ going to spoil him thoroughly," Kushina declared with a toss of her hair.

**23. ****Child**

Kushina laughed, running her hands through her lover's yellow hair, as Minato rested lightly on her abdomen, maintaining a one-sided conversation with their baby punctuated by Naruto's kicks.

**24. ****Now**

"How about we wait until he has been kicking and wailing and keeping us up for a year—or two—before considering another."

**25. ****Shadow**

Jiraiya, pushing Naruto to Sarutobi, rasped, "When I look at him all I see is Minato and I can't…"

**26. ****Goodbye**

Rin closed the baby's hand around the flower before she opened his fingers above his father's casket, watching the flower fall, its petals devastatingly white.

**27. ****Hide**

The fact that he and Kushina would have a child was treated as a matter of utmost security—which meant that, after a week, everyone and their mother knew about it.

**28. ****Fortune**

Minato slept ensconced around Kushina's back, one hand lazily tracing figures on her stomach.

**29. ****Safe**

There were times when he and Kushina would have preferred to keep their son safely within his mother's womb, where even he could not hurt himself, where only a god could take him away.

**30. ****Ghost**

Sunlight streamed through the windows, sunlight assuming the shape of a man who bent over a whimpering infant, lips pressing against a down of yellow hair.

**31. ****Book**

"What about 'Naruto'?" Minato asked Kushina, laying Jiraiya's novel aside.

**32. ****Eye**

A single tear slipped from the corner of Kushina's eyes, unable to watch her lover walk away with their son.

**33. ****Never**

"You'd never have a kid, eh?" Jiraiya laughed while Minato shrugged, taking another sip of his sake.

**34. ****Sing**

Minato lounged against the wall, watching Kushina trace circles onto her skin as she made up lullabies for the baby.

**35. ****Sudden**

As he scanned the list of new genin teams, he grinned to himself, still acclimating to his future title of 'father'.

**36. ****Stop**

"Such an adorable tummy!" Minato teased and Kushina kicked him viciously.

**37. ****Time**

He had never wanted anything more in his life than a few more seconds with his son.

**38. ****Wash**

It was moments like this Minato wished he could freeze forever: he and Kushina under the shower's spray, seeing Kushina's skin stretch in the form of a tiny foot.

**39. ****Torn**

The nightmares grew worse and he no longer knew what to do…save Naruto or save Konoha.

**40. ****History**

"You will be my greatest legacy."

**41. ****Power**

Minato slowly traced the black tattoo marring his son's abdomen and the whisker-like marks darkening on his cheeks.

**42. ****Bother**

"When he/she/it's born," Kushina rasped, raising her head from the porcelain rim of the toilet while Minato held her hair away from her face, "remind me to kill him/her/it."

**43. ****God**

In a shinobi village, little thought was given to a higher power, but he had to believe there was some God watching over them who would protect his son since he would be unable to do so.

**44. ****Wall**

"He might drive you up a wall," Minato whispered to the infant curled inside his mother, "but Jiraiya will take good care of you, if for no other reason than your dad being able to kick his ass."

**45. ****Naked**

Kushina complained that she could no longer see her feet, she felt bloated and her stomach was a horrid protuberance, but Minato had never considered her more beautiful than naked, curled around her abdomen and smiling serenely.

**46. ****Drive**

There was a list of things Minato hoped Naruto inherited from him: his will to succeed, his love for Konoha and, of course, his shockingly good looks.

**47. ****Harm**

For a moment, he was afraid: afraid he had hurt his son, afraid he had changed him, afraid he had committed the greatest mistake of his life.

**48. ****Precious**

If she asked, she knew he would drop the fight, abandon Konoha and face dishonor to save her and Naruto…so she never said a word.

**49. ****Hunger**

"Baby wants ramen _now_."

**50. ****Believe**

"I just want him to grow up and be a happy man."


	31. Prompt 70: Alone

**Author's Notes**: Continuation from Prompt 77: Upset.

* * *

"What are you doing later?" Minato hoped she had nothing planned.

"I'm going out with Shiro." Kushina twisted a lock of hair around her finger.

_Dammit._

"Oh." Minato fell silent, trying to organize his thoughts. "Kushina, uh, I don't think you should go out with him."

"What?" Kushina gave up trying to curl her hair. "Why?"

"Uh..." He had not bothered to think this far ahead.

_Way to go, genius._

"I don't like the way he looks at you," he muttered lamely.

Kushina laughed. "Jealous, Mina-chan?" she teased.

"No." _Yes_. "Why would you think that?" _Apart from my desire to shove him off the Hokage Monument._

"Intuition." She grinned, index finger pointing cheerfully to her temple. "You haven't changed at all, Mina-chan. Still that sweet idiot of a best friend."

Minato forced a smile.

"I'll see you later, okay?" With a happy wave and a whirl of red hair, she ran in the direction of her apartment.

She left him. For Shiro. _Shiro_. Minato absentmindedly kicked a rock, accidentally channeling chakra in his anger. It flew through a window, breaking it. An enraged shout cleaved the air after it. Minato put his new jutsu to good use and flashed to his apartment.

Jiraiya-sensei had said Shiro was just a replacement for him. Since he was back, he could easily break them up and take Shiro's place for himself. But there was something underhanded about that entire scenario that Minato's strong sense of right and wrong did not agree with.

He threw himself into his bed. Why couldn't things just stay like they had been before he left? He didn't regret the trip; Jiraiya-sensei had been right to take him away from Konoha. Ume and Masashi still haunted him. No one else he cared about would suffer their fate and he had trained to ensure that.

But he continued wishing that he and Kushina had not changed. He continued dreaming of those days when the two of them were inseparable and she normally spent the nights hiding under his bed from whoever she had managed to prank. In those days, when she finally gave in and crept under the covers with Minato, his body had not reacted in ways that made him distinctly uncomfortable. Her closeness wasn't detrimental to his mental function. His heart didn't want to leap out of his chest whenever he saw her smile.

He must have fallen asleep because he was roughly awoken some time later by knocking at his door.

Half-stumbling, he opened the door—and had to fight back a scowl.

"Namikaze," Shiro acknowledged him curtly. His hair was tousled and he was pale.

"Can I help you with anything?" Minato had to resist the urge to slam the door in his face.

"May I come in?"

After a pause, Minato held the door open wordlessly. Shiro stepped inside, looking very uncomfortable.

"I won't stay long," Shiro began. "I just had to talk to you."

If he was going to start gloating about his date, Minato was going forget his gentlemanly ethics.

Shiro sighed. "Kushina left me."

What? Minato gaped.

"I'm not surprised, really." Shiro shrugged nonchalantly, but a faint tremble suffused his hands. "When we first met a year ago, she told me I reminded her of a friend. I wasn't stupid; I knew she was with me at the beginning because I look like you. But I hoped that she might eventually want to be with me for me. For a while, it looked like she was...and then you came back."

Shiro stalked forward to the still shell-shocked Minato. "I may not be a shinobi. But I swear I will kick your ass if you make her unhappy, got it?"

Minato nodded mutely.

"Okay." Shiro exhaled heavily. "Then I'll be leaving now." He walked to the door and opened it.

"Shiro." Minato finally found his voice. Shiro glanced back. "Thank you."

"I'm not doing this for you," the other teenager grumbled. "I just want to make sure she's well-taken care of."

"I know." Minato smiled and the corners of Shiro's lips twitched ever so slightly up.


	32. Prompt 09: Cheat

**Author's Notes**: Continuation from Friend. It's Team Jiraiya's bell test! They're all screwed!

* * *

The next morning, a bleary-eyed Minato trudged to the training grounds. There, he met an equally dazed Ume. Masashi approached some minutes later, complaining about lack of sleep and hunger pains. He threw himself on the grass, absently rubbing his stomach. After a while, Ume joined him. Minato sat next to her. Her head drooped onto his shoulder and she began to doze off. Masashi had long ago started snoring.

The three were nestled close together in varying levels of consciousness when there was a poof of gray smoke and an inhuman bellow.

"GOOD MORNING!"

Minato jumped. Ume shrieked and fell backward onto Masashi. Her hand flashed out and grabbed Minato's shoulder, dragging him down with her. Masashi yelled, Ume's elbow digging painfully into his solar plexus. Minato collapsed on top of the other two in a tangle of hair, limbs and groans.

Jiraiya raised a snowy eyebrow. "That position isn't very effective, but I'll give you points for trying."

Embarrassed, the three children jumped to their feet, quickly dusting themselves off.

¨Hey, sensei?" Masashi's eyes narrowed to small slits. "Is that a black eye?"

Ume and Minato scrutinized Jiraiya's face.

"Yeah, sensei!" Ume pointed. "You also have a bruise on your cheek and your hands are scratched!"

"What happened, sensei?" asked Minato. "It looks like you lost a fight."

Masashi sniggered. "Did you fall out of bed, sensei?"

Jiraiya glared at the angelic-looking trio. He muttered something under his breath that sounded like "Damn Tsunade" or "Gamut sundae."

"I'd be more worried about you three." He grinned evilly. "This will be your final exam. You have to take _these_ away from me." He held two bells in his hand. They jingled cheerfully. "You can use anything you deem necessary and you must come at me with intent to kill or you'll never get near the bells."

"Ha!" Masashi rolled his shoulder. "You're already beat up! It'll be easy! Dah!" He dove at Jiraiya.

When Minato and Ume blinked, they saw Masashi strewn ungracefully on the ground. Jiraiya sat on top of him like a victorious king.

"Oy, brat." The jounin looked down at him. "I haven't said start." He turned to Minato and Ume with a huge grin. "Any questions?"

Ume's hand shot into the air. Masashi pulled a kunai out of his sleeve.

Jiraiya blinked. "You're kidding with the hand up." Without looking, he seized Masashi's wrist before the boy could stab the weapon into the older man's knee.

"Sensei, why are there only two bells?"

The man guffawed. The vibrations visibly rattled Masashi, freaking him out. "That's because only the ones who take a bell can pass. Which means two of you, one of you…or none can pass."

The children's eyes widened like Sarutobi-sensei's when he saw that Jiraiya had actually convinced Orochimaru to sneak into the women's onsen with him.

"WHAT?!" Ume's shriek was so high-pitched the males around her flinched, hands clamped tightly over their ears to protect their eardrums.

"Oh, screw your plan then!" Masashi gestured to Minato while simultaneously trying to stab a needle through Jiraiya's big toe.

Minato's jaw hit the dirt.

Jiraiya actually _snickered_. "Any other questions? No? Then…start!"

Before Masashi could nail his feet to the ground, Jiraiya disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"We're going to be sent back to the Academy!" Ume wailed.

"_You_ are!" snapped Masashi. "I am _not_ failing."

"Uh, guys?" Minato tried to mediate. He was promptly ignored.

Ume smirked. "Right. You were just being sensei's chair because you felt like it."

"At least I tried something! All you know how to do is scream and cry!"

"Guys…"

"You are so mean, Masashi!" Ume stomped her foot to illustrate just how mean he was.

"Yeah, yeah, just because you can't take a joke…"

"You trapped me in the Academy closet for an entire day!"

Minato could feel a headache brewing right behind his eyes. "Seriously, you two, we need—"

"If you were paying attention in class instead of mooning over Minato you could have gotten out!"

"Go die in a fire."

"Go choke on your drawings…if you can even call them that."

"SHUT UP!"

It was so odd to hear Minato raise his voice that Masashi and Ume promptly stopped their bickering to stare at him.

Taking a deep breath, Minato continued in a calmer voice, "Let's stick to our plan and try to think this through."

"No way. One of us would have to bite the bullet and I doubt Ume's feeling nice." Masashi glared at her. Ume stuck her tongue out at him. He tramped off into the underbrush.

Minato sighed.

"So…what's the plan?" Ume scuffed one sandaled foot, hands held primly behind her back.

"You said you wanted to be a genjutsu user." Minato didn't notice Ume's eyes begin shining at the sign that he paid attention to what she said. "Can you use it?"

"A little," she answered. "My illusions aren't very good."

"It'll be enough." Minato smiled. "…Are you okay? Your face is red and you're swaying."

"I'm fine!" Ume squeaked.

"Okay. Let's go."

"Where are we going?" She jogged lightly behind him, one hand pressed against her chest.

"After Masashi."

"What for?" Ume crossed her arms, distaste darkening her look. "He left us."

"Exactly. So he'll be trying to take on sensei alone and we can see sensei's fighting style and plan an attack."

Ume's mouth dropped open in a round little 'o'. Her eyes shone. Although she had very little doubt before, she was certain now that Minato was the greatest Namikaze to ever Namikaze.

A short distance away, Masashi was stringing his traps. His Kurosawa Fires, Falls and Things Extravaganza (the name was a work-in-progress) never failed in stopping his targets: a log, a scarecrow and an ugly vase he'd stolen from his neighbor. Jiraiya-sensei couldn't be much different.

Jiraiya hopped onto a branch behind him.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think?" Masashi grunted as he finished knotting a rope. "I'm setting up a trap to catch Jiraiya-baka."

"And what's the trap composed of?"

"A couple of exploding tags, some logs set to swing down...Why do you want to know? ...Oh f-Ji-Jiraiya-sensei!"

Masashi jumped up, chuckling nervously. "Hi, sensei. How you doing?"

Jiraiya shrugged nonchalantly. "Listening to your plan to catch Jiraiya-baka."

The boy backed up slowly, hands held in front of him in a sign of surrender. "I-I was just k-kidding, Ji-Jiraiya-s-sensei! Just kidding! A joke! Ha, ha, ha...what are you doing? Oh no, sensei, don't! Don't! AHH!"

"Hmm. Looks like stupid Masashi's already been caught," Ume stated dispassionately.

"We have to help him. Come on!"

"But why—" Ume's complaints died the moment Minato grabbed her wrist to pull her along. She flushed a dark red to her inky hair, a stupidly happy smile spreading over her face as she stared at Minato's hand around her wrist. Minato was holding her hand. _Minato_ was holding her _hand_. _Minato._

Said boy almost had his arm dislocated when Ume suddenly passed out, jerking Minato backward.

"Ume? Ume-chan? Ume-chan, what happened? Are you okay?"

Ume regained consciousness to find Minato's blue eyes right in front of her. With a sigh and a frighteningly wide smile, she fainted again.

Minato scratched his head. "Huh?"

The sound of feet behind him made him react. He grabbed Ume and dove into some bushes with her. He hugged the ground, keeping one arm protectively over her back. His eyes ran over the area. Jiraiya could travel silently. He wouldn't reveal his position unless it was a trap. As the steps grew closer, Minato discerned the soft jingle of bells.

He wouldn't be able to move well, not carrying Ume. And it would be really bad if Jiraiya-sensei attacked now while Ume was unconscious. He could probably defend himself, but not protect her too against a jounin-level shinobi. And there was no doubt in his mind Jiraiya was not as idiotic as he appeared.

Ume groaned awake. Minato clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Relax. Don't faint."

Ume nodded her head as well as she was able.

"You need to go back and get Masashi out of whatever mess he's in," Minato began in a low whisper, "and get him to spring his trap. Cast whatever genjutsu you have at Jiraiya-sensei and then I'll attack again. Hopefully, one of us might be able to grab the bells. Nod if you understand."

She nodded again.

Minato smiled. "I'm counting on you, Ume-chan."

Ume's eyes acquired a dazed look. Minato quickly waved his hand in front of her face. He was really worried about her. The blond hoped she wasn't coming down with something.

He waited for an opportune moment and dove out of the bushes.

Jiraiya-sensei had been ready for him and easily deflected the shuriken Minato threw. To do so, however, he had to shift to the left and Minato continued with the flurry of projectiles, drawing him away from Ume.

The jounin was secretly amused. He knew perfectly well what Minato was trying to do. He was risking himself to keep Jiraiya away from his teammate.

And he wasn't doing half bad.

A few feet away, Masashi had crossed his arms in front of his chest, his blood rushing to his head. Jiraiya-baka had tied a rope around his ankle and tied him to a tree, leaving him to swing upside down.

Masashi was not amused.

Hearing sounds of a fight, he craned his head to see Jiraiya and Minato duking it out. Unsurprisingly, Ume was nowhere to be seen. Masashi still couldn't understand how he got teamed up with Ume. He hated her and she hated him and she was a crybaby while he was a genius. He was—

"Stupid idiot. Did you fall for your own trap?" Ume laughed at him. Masashi growled.

"Listen, you," she said, throwing a pebble at him. "I don't like you. But Minato told me to get you. You're going to spring whatever trap you have and help us. Got that?"

"Why should I?"

"Because I won't let you down otherwise, you moron." She picked up another rock and threw it with shinobi-like reflexes at his forehead.

"Okay! Okay!" Masashi waved his hands. "Ugly girl," he muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" Ume snapped. A vein visibly pounded in her temple.

"Nothing!"

Ume cut the rope holding up Masashi. He dropped directly on his head.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

She grinned maliciously. "You never said I had to let you down softly."

Masashi was going to kill her.

Minato heard some distant yells and hoped his teammates would help him soon. It was the third time Jiraiya-sensei kicked him away and he didn't know how much longer he could last.

For his part, Jiraiya was surprised. Minato had not yet come near the bells, but he was actually making Jiraiya fight seriously.

_Top of his class, eh? A genius._

He was so involved, trying to keep Minato away from the bells, that he almost couldn't avoid the flurry of shuriken aimed his way. Looking back, he saw Masashi had somehow freed himself. No, Ume must have got him out. When he glanced at the only girl in his team, he suffered a sudden feeling of vertigo.

Her hands were clasped in front of her in a seal, eyes scrunched in concentration.

_Genjutsu? Why these little brats...!_

Minato dove forward, but a roundhouse kick sent him flying away. Masashi set off an exploding log and Ume looked like she was going to lose control over the illusion at any moment.

_We need something else. Something to distract him completely._

Minato abruptly remembered Jiraiya muttering something under his breath. Damn...Tsunade?

Tsunade!

Ducking into the cloud left by the exploding tags, Minato's hands folded in a basic seal.

When the smoke cleared, Jiraiya felt his eyes bug out. Tsunade, all 106 centimeters, was tapping her foot at him, arms crossed under her ample bosom.

"Jiraiya..." she trailed off.

"I didn't do it!" Jiraiya immediately exclaimed. "Whatever it is, it wasn't me!"

Tsunade dove forward. Jiraiya turned to flee.

He felt the bells at his waist snag, then the tug relaxed. Looking back, he saw Tsunade grinning at him. She suddenly transformed, revealing a laughing Minato with both bells held in his grasp.

oOo

This wasn't how Minato had foreseen the events.

"Your traps were weak and you need to be more aware of your surroundings." Masashi scowled at Jiraiya-sensei's words.

"When you're on a team, you look after all your teammates, not just one." Their teacher turned to Ume. She looked like she was about to start crying.

"And you," Jiraiya wagged his finger at Minato, "you need to consider the situation before diving headfirst into a fight."

"But I got the bells," Minato argued. "How come I'm the only one tied to a log?"

"Your henge needs work. Your taijutsu is laughable. And, most importantly, you don't trick the great Jiraiya!"

Minato rolled his eyes.

"Since you're so great, how come you were tricked?" Masashi crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Y-yeah!" Ume pointed. "Minato got the bells. And you said we could use anything to take them away from you!"

"Fine. I'll pass Minato and fail you two."

"WHAT?!" Ume and Masashi chorused.

"NO!" Minato wriggled as well as he was able. "That's not fair! I'm sorry I tricked you, but don't fail them."

"Oh. Would you take the fall for them?" Jiraiya-sensei was amused.

Minato managed to move his hand and opened his fist carefully. The two bells glinted in the bright noon light. "Take them." He motioned to Masashi and Ume. "Go on. Grab them."

Masashi took them from the trussed-up blond and handed one to Ume.

"There," said Minato. "You said the ones who passed were the ones who took a bell. I took them from you and they took them from me. As per _your _rules, we all pass."

Jiraiya stared at him. Masashi mimed his throat being slit, pointing at Minato. Ume's eyes were wide with fright.

Minato swallowed with difficulty.

"Ba, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Jiraiya guffawed. If anything, his laughter frightened the children further.

Wiping his eyes, Jiraiya sniggered. "What the hell. You lot amuse me. You all pass."

"Really?" Ume's eyes were practically twinkling.

"Awesome!" Masashi punched the air.

Minato just blinked before grinning.

"Now get out of here." Jiraiya shooed them away. "We'll meet here tomorrow at 8!"

Still cheering, Ume and Masashi ran off, momentarily forgetting their hatred for one another. Ume paused, as if waiting for Minato, but another wave from Jiraiya's hand sent her on her way. Jiraiya stepped up to his last subordinate and freed him. Minato massaged his arms.

"All right, brat. Get out of my sight."

Minato grinned and Jiraiya found himself smiling back, one hand tousling the yellow strands, making the boy scowl, hands rising to flatten the wayward spikes.


	33. Prompt 12: Shelter

The trip back from Whirlpool Country was long. Minato was starting to go cross-eyed with exhaustion.

Jiraiya was mad. To put it lightly. After saving Kushina and him, he had bellowed at Minato for the better part of half an hour. Only Kushina's miserable look saved her from the scolding. He did, however, tell her she had been greatly irresponsible and she could have easily killed not only herself, but Minato as well. It was a sign of how badly affected she was that she simply ducked her head, worrying her lower lip.

Minato wasn't used to seeing her like this. If it got her smiling again, he was willing to let her try Whirlpool's Ancient Taijutsu Technique. He refrained from asking, however, correctly assuming that any mention of her home would just make her feel worse. From the looks Jiraiya cast Kushina he was worried too.

"Okay, you two." Jiraiya stopped, looking at the chiseled gray sky. Minato and Kushina almost crashed into him. "We'll spend the night at a bathhouse nearby and reach Konoha tomorrow. No need to run through a storm."

Minato had a more accurate idea as to the reason why the self-proclaimed Super Pervert wanted to stop at a bathhouse. He nodded in understanding, though. Kushina dug a small hole with her toe. When Jiraiya began walking, Minato gently tugged at the redhead's arm, sliding his hand around her wrist. Kushina blinked. At Minato's warm smile, the corners of her lips twitched hesitantly up. She didn't move her hand away.

Watching the two, Jiraiya hid a grin. She wasn't all right, but she would be. His hardheaded student would make sure of that.

Oh yes. Betting on Minato's love life against Tsunade was the best thing he'd done. Easy money coming his way.

Jiraiya checked them into two rooms—one for Kushina and the other for him and Minato—and promptly disappeared.

Minato rolled his eyes.

"Sensei never changes. Are you going to drop buckets on him again?"

The soft sound of the door sliding shut answered him.

"Kushina?" He stepped up to the door, one hand reaching out to pull it open.

Just barely, he could make out the sound of soft sobs, probably being muffled against the futon or a pillow.

Minato's hand dropped to his side. He rested his forehead against the door, despising the feeling of powerlessness that deadened his limbs.

He shut his door on the sound of her tears and his own failure.

It was several hours later when he abruptly awoke.

For a moment, he thought Jiraiya had returned, but the jounin's chakra signature was conspicuously absent.

In the time he'd been asleep, the storm had hit with full force. Rain pounded on the bathhouse's shingle roof, the sound oddly reminiscent of drumming. Lightning brightened the room every so often, followed by screams of thunder.

However, the storm wasn't what woke him up either.

Pressed against his side, curled into a tiny shaking ball, was Kushina.

"Kushina?" His voice still raspy from sleep, Minato experimentally poked the ball. He received a sharp slap on his hand in response. "What is it?"

She shook her head, curling further into herself. If she bent any more, she would be able to kiss her waist.

Another bolt illuminated the scene, casting an ethereal and just as ephemeral glow. Barely two seconds later, the thunder followed, so close and so loud Minato's heart jumped and Kushina shrieked, her hand seizing his shirt.

Minato blinked. "Are-are you afraid of thunder?" The idea that Uzumaki Kushina, tough-as-nails tomboy extraordinaire, was afraid of something so harmless sounded vaguely ludicrous.

Her wince at the next resplendent bolt of light along with the veiled glare she aimed at him assured him of the validity of his theory.

"You're afraid of _thunder_?"

Minato would have laughed at Kushina's hiding from the thunder and lightning, but a fierce kick in the shins had him howling in pain.

"And I can aim somewhere more painful if you don't shut up," she threatened. Its effectiveness died at her flinch to the next roll of thunder.

Minato pulled the sheets off him, draping it over both of them instead. He shifted his head so she could occupy half of the pillow. At the next show of strength from the unceasing storm, she pressed herself tightly to Minato's side. Minato found that rubbing her back and whispering to the hollow just under her ear eased the tension from her muscles.

She giggled as Minato narrated his genin test and how he had managed to one-up Jiraiya. Soon, her breathing evened. A short look revealed she had fallen asleep, her face pressed against Minato's shoulder.

The warmth of a second body beside him was a luxurious sedative. His eyes closed of their own accord. He tucked his chin against his neck, resting his forehead against Kushina's scarlet hair.

When Jiraiya walked in an hour later, cheeks flushed from the alcohol, he briefly wondered if he'd imbibed more than he remembered. Because there was simply no way his student and said student's best friend were curled up together on the same bedding.

As he gathered his belongings to move them to Kushina's room, he smirked. At eleven, Minato and Kushina were already sleeping together. Looked like he'd be a rich man at Tsunade's expense by the time Minato was fourteen.


	34. Prompt 39: Seek

Kushina's father carved a poem into the wall of his room after his wife died. Kushina was barely a year old. When her brother told her about it, she sought it out. The poem had been scored out and only the title was legible.

Heartbreak.

Kushina's small fingers traced the lines, trying to find some groove belonging to the letters that were once there. Her father found her in that position, desperately trying to read, her hands on the rock like someone blind.

"What are you doing, Kushina-chan?" he asked. Kushina reeled up, worried that her father would be angry with her. He knelt by her side, his hand following the lines.

"I was trying to read," she admitted.

He hugged her to him and Kushina felt a faint tremble suffuse his body. "I scratched it out because I don't want anyone else to know about it. Don't seek it, Kushina-chan. Don't try to."

_Too late_, she thought. _Too lat__e_.

Too late as she watched her lover take their son away, blue eyes flickering back and lingering. She wrenched her gaze away, knowing that he would never follow through if she gave any sign of weakness.

As she began to lose feeling of her body, her head filling with cotton, she smiled. _I know what you wrote, daddy. I know what you wrote._


	35. Prompt 67: Confused

Kushina could clearly remember the days when she and Minato were children (physically, at least, because they never really matured) and most thought Minato was the girl.

He would be so angry. She wouldn't help matters as she would just laugh in his face. In retrospect, she supposed the insinuation was as much an insult for her as it was to him.

One day, he had dared her to wear a dress. Double-dog dared her. What kind of self-respecting ninja would she have been if she had backed down?

Jiraiya had raised an eyebrow. Tsunade had smirked. Ume and Masashi had been disbelieving. Minato had gone red and couldn't speak. He had kept averting his eyes.

"Minato?"

"Yeah?" He poked his head around the doorway.

"You remember when you dared me to wear the dress?" Kushina cocked her head to the side. "Why wouldn't you look at me?"

A faint pink flush crept up his neck. "Oh, heh." He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, you looked really different. Like a doll."

"A doll?" Kushina arched an eyebrow.

"Or a princess," he quickly rectified.

"Go back to whatever you were doing." Kushina laughed, waving him off. "Idiot."


	36. Prompt 100: Aftermath

The sun rose.

Through the village, a soft breeze circled. It was temperate, a comforting blend of gentleness and warmth. The earth was cool and stable.

The horizon lightened, a band of colors varying from the richest purple to the palest white. Soft clouds floated, reflecting the sun's yellow rays. Yellow and blue and white. Yellow and blue and white mingling with the plumes of smoke rising from the village.

Heavy feet shuffled numbly. Heavy breaths filled the air. Heavy eyes stared to the heavens or the still ground. Surprising in a village of such size, very few spoke. Those who did quickly hushed. No one wanted to shatter the stillness that had settled over them, that wretched cloying stillness. But it was preferable to the surging ground. It was preferable to the raging fires. It was preferable to that demonic scream.

Over it all, the sun rose.

oOo

It is a murmur, tiny ripples of water growing, multiplying, thriving. Mere whispers carried on that soothing wind. Words to destroy.

Again and again and again and again.

The same reactions.

Again and again and again and again.

Here is a man, collapsed, hand held to his face to hide his tears.

Here is a woman, dry-eyed and pale, still trying to understand.

Here is a child, whimpering, seeking parents he no longer has.

Again and again and again and again.

Here is a genin, haunted by the images of her teammates swallowed by the surging earth, trying to believe in her hero.

Here is a chuunin, trying to find anyone alive trapped in the rubble, unable to stop even for the bitter news.

Here is a jounin, a promising career ripped from him along with his right arm and leg, wishing the same had occurred to him.

Again and again and again and again.

Words. Just words. Two or three words. No more. Words with the ability to destroy what little hope they have. Whispers again and again and again and again because they cannot be voiced louder.

And the sun continues rising.

oOo

It was midday and everyone was outside. Everyone searched for a familiar face. Everyone strained for a familiar voice. Everyone struggled with the weight of _one less_, _he's gone_, _no one is unscathed_.

No one is unscathed.

No one is unscathed.

No one.

oOo

It was late in the afternoon and everyone knew. Everyone had known for hours. Those words had raced from one edge of the village to the other, through voice, through tears, through murmurs, through screams, through violence.

The sun had risen, mocking in its glory. Their sun was gone. Their sun was extinguished. Their sun

_Yondaime fell._

_Yondaime is dead._

_Yondaime sacrificed himself._

_Yondaime!_

had fallen.

oOo

It was evening and two men sat in the shadowed Hokage's office. One, holding a bundle in his lap, had left the office once with the belief he would not return. The other, with nothing to hold onto, had left the office the morning before, taunting the man that used to sit behind the polished desk.

Neither man sat in that chair. It was his and it was stupid because he was gone, but it was _his_.

The younger had screamed that to the older earlier that day. The older had accepted the fury wordlessly.

"Jiraiya…"

The younger man choked on a sob.

The older continued, "Jiraiya, he left everything to his son, but someone needs to manage the estate until the boy comes of age. As you're—"

"You can do it, Sarutobi-sensei," mumbled Jiraiya. "Knowing me, I'll spend it all on stupid things."

Sarutobi sighed. "There's also the matter of who will care for his son. You're his godfather, Jiraiya. Minato entru—"

"_Don't say his name!_"

Sarutobi closed his eyes momentarily. The bundle in his hands started, fussed. "You're the child's godfather, Jiraiya. His father entrusted you with him."

Before Jiraiya could yell again, Sarutobi stood and set the newborn infant in the other man's hands.

Jiraiya looked stricken, grasping the child as one would a wild animal that can turn around and bite him at any moment.

The baby yawned revealing toothless pink gums. A tiny hand opened, fingers splayed—rays of a dawning sun—before curling into the soft palm. The hand tucked itself against the small chest, bright blue eyes peering curiously at the man holding him.

Curious, bright blue eyes.

_Blueblueblueblueblueblue_.

Jiraiya, pushing Naruto to Sarutobi, rasped, "When I look at him all I see is Minato and I can't. I can't…"

oOo

The whispers adopt a different tone.

Darker. Twisting. Sharper.

_Kyuubi is still alive._

The fox is still among them. The demon who destroyed their homes, killed their family and friends, made their leader sacrifice himself.

_Kyuubi is still alive._

Kyuubi, the fox. Kyuubi, the demon. Kyuubi, that wretched creature.

_Kyuubi is still alive._

Not dead like they had believed. Sealed. Sealed inside a baby.

_Kyuubi is still alive._

And the whispers continue.

oOo

It was just shy of midnight. A boy and a girl had climbed to the top of the fourth stone head carved into the mountain wall.

The girl sat on the rough stone, uncaring of the abrasive surface. Her face was hidden against her knees. Her thin shoulders shook with the force of her sobs.

The boy stood next her, back half-turned to her. One hand lingered over the tilted _hitai-ite_. The eye hidden underneath was throbbing, a clear salty trail flowing freely to be absorbed by the navy cloth covering it.

_Even Obito is crying_.

The girl wiped her cheeks, the purple marks on her skin catching the moon's soft light. Her lashes were wet and shining.

The boy knelt by her side. His hand briefly touched her shoulder. She understood and leaned against him, hiding her face in his shirt. Both were still wearing the clothes they had the night before, the clothes that saw the waves of earth and felt the burn of unearthly flames and had warm hands hold onto them for support before those hands fell away.

oOo

It was the dead hours of the night and a body was kept under careful vigil. The ANBU standing outside the doors were honored to be there, watching over their Hokage for the last time.

One looked at the body and was surprised at how peaceful he appeared. For the briefest moment, he hoped the Hokage was merely asleep.

The seconds ticked down, transforming into minutes and those transfiguring into hours.

The Hokage remained in the position he had been set, hands on his chest, body straight and still dressed in his famous robes, his _hitai-ite_ still wrapped around his forehead.

oOo

The sun rose, warm, bright, living. There were few clouds and those were iridescently white. Birds twittered as they looped through the currents. The breeze was gentle enough to be painful.

The casket was ornate and fit for a king. Konoha's leaf, gilded, was engraved on the surface.

Everyone had turned out, man, woman and child, to witness the burial of their leader.

Sarutobi was to lead the ceremony. But he was searching with increasing desperation for Naruto.

Lingering apart from the moving crowd, he saw his student's distinctive white mane.

"Jiraiya!" Jiraiya glanced around, his face lost and confused. Sarutobi laid a hand on his shoulder. "Jiraiya, I need your help."

"What happened?" Sarutobi's tone had managed to pierce through the fog surrounding Jiraiya.

"Naruto's gone. I can't stop this now and I can't announce his disappearance." Sarutobi clutched Jiraiya's shoulder. His student looked so much older. "Please."

Jiraiya traced Naruto's kidnappers to an old, abandoned playground. He recognized it; it was the playground that had been open when Minato had been a child. He knew who had Naruto without needing to see.

He summoned a toad and sent him to contact Sarutobi. He walked inside, lingering within a copse of trees.

In the remains of the old playground, two children sat quietly. Kakashi stood protectively in front of his teammate, staring where Jiraiya was hidden. Rin sat on the only swing that remained intact, a white-knuckled grip on the blankets swaddled around Naruto. A calla lily was tucked into her pocket.

The silence was broken only by the infant's whimpers and Rin's soothing.

"Ssh, ssh. It's okay, Naruto-chan. You're okay. We're here. Don't worry." Following her ministrations, the child hushed. She rocked him gently, keeping him close to her chest.

At the child's cries, Kakashi's stance had grown fully aggressive, knees slightly bent, his hand twitching open and shut near his weapon holster. The other hand had pulled his _hitai-ite _away from his eye, the Sharingan spinning lazily in warning.

Jiraiya pulled himself free of the shadows of the trees.

"You are supposed to be at the funeral," he said without inflection. "And that boy should be with Sandaime."

"Those people are only mourning their Hokage," Kakashi snapped. Jiraiya had never heard such a tone from him before. "They're not mourning Minato-sensei. They didn't know him."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Jiraiya felt the first stirrings of emotion since he first heard of his apprentice's death. There was something of his idiotic student in this gray-haired boy.

"They despise Naruto," Rin said softly. "If they knew Minato-sensei, if they cared for him, they would not be saying such things." One sandaled foot pushed against the sand under the swings, rocking herself and the baby.

Jiraiya couldn't find what to tell her. That Naruto would be shunned, probably for the rest of his life? That the villagers were hurt and afraid and the reason for their suffering happened to be sealed in a defenseless body? That very few would ever know the truth behind Naruto's parentage if Sarutobi's fears came to pass?

They remained silent. Kakashi had relaxed his pose somewhat, but his eyes—both of them—followed every one of Jiraiya's movements. Naruto was asleep in Rin's arms, the girl rocking him gently.

Sarutobi approached a short while later. He turned to Jiraiya and the white-haired man briefly explained the situation. He smiled sadly.

"Rin? Kakashi?" He stepped forward carefully, but both teenagers backed away. They were too loyal to take defensive positions against their Hokage, but there was no doubt they would rather run before listening to an order to give up Naruto.

"Would you accompany me to your sensei's burial?"

"It's done." Kakashi blinked. "We could hear it from over here."

Sarutobi shook his head. "That was an empty casket. Minato is to be buried elsewhere, to protect his body. He and his wife are to be interred together. And...I think they would both want a final chance to say goodbye to you—and their son."

oOo

Blue slits widened before opening sleepily. Rin smiled at the child in her hands, warm and so alive. He looked so much like his father. She was not able to save her teacher, but she could protect his son.

Her heart ached as she remembered her teacher's eyes, his mannerisms, his compassion. She had cried and cried and cried. Cried so much she wondered how it was possible she could still cry. But she couldn't show tears in front of Naruto. She would smile and be as kind to him as his father had been to her. He would believe in her mask and maybe, just maybe, she could eventually believe she was happy too.

Minato-sensei's final resting place was at the top of a smooth green hill. The vestiges of small white flowers dotted the land. Rin imagined that once summer came again this land would be beautiful.

Unlike the elaborate closed casket for the public burial, this one was simple mahogany, polished to a warm brown. Beside it, was another casket, this one of ash.

Minato and Kushina lay quietly in their respective casket. Rin almost felt it an insult. Minato-sensei and Kushina-san weren't _quiet_. They were vivid and colorful and _alive_.

Then she remembered they weren't alive anymore and the thought left an ashen bitter taste in her mouth of burning lemon oil.

Both wore what would have been their wedding gowns. Minato-sensei had black robes that seemed to flow around him like resplendent ink. The yellow of his hair was brighter than ever against the darkness of his kimono.

Kushina wore a beautiful kimono with an intricately designed fall landscape. Golden bamboo forests grew up her body. It was just like Kushina to have chosen bronze as the color for her wedding dress. The color drew out darker tones to her titian hair. Against her usual golden skin, it would have been stunning. But against her icy pallor now, it just made her seem paler, almost frail. They both seemed...lifeless.

Rin choked.

The two of them. Gone. Two candles that burned too brightly and exhausted their own flame.

It was Kakashi who broke the silence.

Kakashi...who was crying.

"Sensei...you said to look underneath the underneath. I found nothing." Another tear arced down his cheek. "What more is there underneath, sensei?"

Sarutobi and Jiraiya watched him carefully. Rin's heart pounded a staccato beat. Naruto whimpered. Kakashi startled, a dark eye meeting wide blue ones. A shaking hand rose, just barely grazing the messy yellow strands of hair. Rin pressed closer to Kakashi, hugging Naruto tightly.

Jiraiya closed the caskets. He paused at Minato's, arms trembling. Finally, the lid closed softly. With a whispered jutsu, the earth arced smoothly out from under them, resting over the smooth wood surfaced. Finally, only two mounds remained.

Rin took the lily from her pocket. She closed Naruto's tiny hand over the stem and stepped forward. She opened the baby's fingers over the earth, letting the flower drop, its petals devastatingly white.

"Those were your parents," she whispered to the blinking blue eyes. Her voice was breaking. "And they...they really loved you."

oOo

The whispers continue.

_Yondaime died._

_The demon is still alive._

A woman with riant eyes and flaming hair passes into oblivion. A child's heritage is hidden from him and all who would harm him. A man leaves the village with no intention of returning. A girl and a boy promise to look after their teacher's son as well as they can, but when she dies, the boy can no longer do so alone. A man returns to the office and position he never imagined would be his again.

And the whispers continue.


End file.
